No. 6 North Carolina opened Saturday’s doubleheader against Georgia Tech with a 12-6 victory before slipping in the finale by a 4-2 margin. The doubleheader split gave Georgia Tech (24-17, 9-12 ACC) the 2-1 series win and dropped the Tar Heels to 29-11 overall and 13-7 in ACC play.
Game One
North Carolina raced out to an 8-0 lead after the first inning and never looked back as the Tar Heels rolled to a 12-6 win over the Yellow Jackets in the first game.
The Tar Heels sent 12 batters to the plate in the first inning as Chaz Frank started the inning off with a double and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Jacob Stallings, Mike Zolk and Cody Stubbs all tallied RBI hits in the first before Brian Holberton dealt the big blow with a bases loaded double to cap off the scoring.
Holberton tacked on another run for the Tar Heels in the fourth when he connected on a solo home run to right center field for his first long ball of the year. Stallings made it a two home run inning later in the fourth as he connected on a two-run shot to left field after Tommy Coyle drew a walk.
Georgia Tech got into the home run mode in the sixth when Jake Davies hit a three-run shot to right center to make the score 11-3. Daniel Palka added a solo home run two batters later to make it 11-4 thus ending starter Benton Moss’ outing.
Moss finished the day by tossing 5.2 innings, allowing four runs only two of which were earned and struck out five.
Mike Zolk made it a 12-4 contest in the seventh inning with a RBI double to score Stallings before Georgia Tech tallied single runs in the eighth and ninth innings to provide the final margin.
Moss earned the win and improved to 4-2 on the year, while R.C. Orlan threw a scoreless inning of relief out of the bullpen.
The eight-run first inning matched the largest scoring output in an inning this season as the Tar Heels matched the eight-run second inning against Wright State on Feb. 24.
Game Two
Sophomore Hobbs Johnson got the call on the mound and mowed down the Yellow Jackets as he retired the first seven batters he faced.
The Tar Heels provided Johnson with a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Michael Russell started a one-out rally by drawing a walk. Russell moved to second after a fly out when Tommy Coyle walked as well.
Adam Griffin provided the go-ahead hit with a single through the left side as Russell raced around third and scored standing up to provide the 1-0 lead.
The Tar Heels added another run in the sixth thanks to a lead off double from Jacob Stallings. A single by Tommy Coyle right in front of Stallings forced the senior catcher to hold up at third and put runners on the corners with nobody out.
Griffin drove in his second run of the ball game with a slow chopper to shortstop that allowed Stallings to score from third. A double play would end the threat but not before Carolina held a 2-0 lead into the seventh inning.
Georgia Tech snapped a streak of eight straight retired by Johnson with a lead off single in the seventh before Jake Davies ended the shutout as well with a two-run home run to even the score at 2-2. Closer Michael Morin came on in the seventh to keep the game tied.
Number nine hitter Mott Hyde reached to open the eighth for the Yellow Jackets and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt but Morin retired the next batter on strikes. Morin had Brandon Thomas in a 1-2 hole but Thomas connected on a RBI single to right that scored Hyde and gave Georgia Tech a 3-2 lead.
The Yellow Jackets added another run in the eighth to take a 4-2 lead to the bottom half of the inning.
Tommy Coyle drew a one-out walk in the eighth and immediately stole second base to put a runner in scoring position. Coyle would be stranded at second after a pair of ground outs were unable to score the junior shortstop.
the Tar Heels would go down in order in the ninth as Alex Cruz secured the series win for the Yellow Jackets.
The bottom of the lineup provided six of the Tar Heels 10 hits in the game as Adam Griffin, Mike Zolk and Parks Jordan all registered 2-for-4 days.
Carolina will look to bounce back against a pair of in-state foes this week as UNC Greensboro comes to Boshamer Stadium Tuesday followed by East Carolina on Wednesday. Both games are set for 6 p.m. first pitches.
– News release