In a less than clean game on Sunday, the No. 17 UNC baseball team (10-2) brought enough offense to complete a series sweep over Princeton (1-5), winning 13-6 at Boshamer Stadium. Both teams committed four errors apiece, and the Tigers walked 11 Tar Heel batters.
Princeton struck first against UNC starter first-year righty Jason DeCaro in the top of the first. Matt Scannell led off the game with a single and went to second on a fielding error by graduate outfielder Anthony Donofrio. Nick DiPietrantonio drove in Scannell with an RBI double down the third-base line.
The Tar Heels plated two in the bottom half. Graduate infielder Alex Madera and junior outfielder Vance Honeycutt both walked and stole a base. They both scored — Madera from third and Honeycutt from second — on the same wild pitch by Princeton starter Richard Ferrer-Westrop.
After the Tigers and Tar Heels exchanged zeros for two innings, North Carolina added three runs in the bottom of the fourth through a big blast off the bat of first-year catcher Luke Stevenson. His second homer of the year and second in as many days traveled 391 to right field.
After the first, DeCaro settled in. He exited after throwing four plus innings of one-run ball. He allowed only two hits and one walk, while striking out three, in his final three frames.
The Tar Heels loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth on three consecutive walks before scoring three. Stevenson reached on an error on a ground ball to second base but was credited with an RBI. Senior infielder Johnny Castagnozzi drove in Donofrio with a single, and senior infielder Colby Wilkerson plated another run with a groundout.
Princeton scored three in the top of the sixth, the last two coming on a crazy play that included three UNC throwing errors. Jake Kernodle hit a ground ball to Wilkerson before the Tar Heels proceeded to throw the ball all around the infield.
North Carolina chalked up another three runs in the bottom of the sixth on back-to-back doubles by Donofrio and senior designated hitter Alberto Osuna. Princeton added two in the top of the seventh through a two-RBI single from Jordan Kelly off senior right-handed pitcher Matt Poston.
