The North Carolina baseball team fell to Xavier 2-1 at Boshamer Stadium on Friday, suffering its third loss in four games and first loss in a home opener since Mike Fox became head coach in 1999.
The Tar Heels are 1-3 for the first time since 2002. They won 16 straight games to open last season and didn’t earn their third loss until April 23.
Benton Moss (0-1) was saddled with the loss Friday despite pitching 7 1/3 innings of two-run baseball. He allowed both runs with two outs in the third inning by allowing back-to-back hits to Xavier’s Joe Forney and Brian Bruening.
The Tar Heels’ lone run came in the fifth from a Michael Russell RBI single through the left side of the infield.
Russell stood on third base and represented the game’s tying run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but a pop fly from freshman Adrian Chacon sealed the Xavier win.
The Tar Heels will have a chance at redemption Saturday, as right-hander Trent Thornton (1-0, 3.00 ERA) is slated to take the mound against righty Vinny Nittoli (1-0, 0.00 ERA) at 2 p.m.
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