North Carolina defeats College of Charleston

In the middle of the third inning against North Carolina, College of Charleston sent a new pitcher to the mound.

And the change was just what designated hitter Jesse Wierzbicki needed to get out of his rut.

On the first pitch, he sent the ball flying down the left field line and out of Boshamer Stadium. His eighth of the season, Wierzbicki leads the Tar Heels in homeruns. The two-run homer helped propel UNC to a 10-0 win against College of Charleston.

But prior to Wednesday’s game, the 6-foot-2 junior hadn’t hit one out of the park since an April 3 matchup against Maryland.

“He’s been struggling a little bit.  I put him down in the eighth hole trying to get him some more confidence,” Coach Mike Fox said.  “We need him to hit for us down the stretch to have a chance.”

The third inning proved that Wierzbicki wasn’t the only answer to coach Fox’s prayers. During the course of the inning, the Tar Heels batted around- and then some. In UNC’s 14 at bats, they registered seven hits and scored nine of the games 10 total runs.

“We haven’t had many big innings all year long,” Fox said. “That was the key to the game.”

College of Charleston entered Wednesday’s matchup with a higher team batting average than UNC, but the Tar Heels still managed to earn their third shutout of the season against the Cougars. And no one looked more pleased than starting pitcher Greg Holt.

Holt, who pitched a career high six innings on Wednesday, earned his third career win against the Cougars. Prior to Wednesday’s matchup, the junior had two wins and a save in his last three trips to the mound since making his first career start against Davidson on April 21.

“It’s my first year pitching on a consistent basis at the college level and I’m learning,” Holt said. “I feel like I’m growing into a better pitcher.”

Holt allowed only two Cougar hits and walked one batter. Pitching for College of Charleston, though, didn’t go as smoothly.

Seven different Cougars pitched in the game, only one of which played more than one inning.  In total, College of Charleston pitchers would walk ten UNC batters. 

“That was just the way they approached their mid-week games, trying to warm up several arms,” third baseman Levi Michael said. “It kind of gets the hitters a little bit off balance because you can’t really get in a rhythm, seeing a different pitcher. You don’t know what to expect.”

Despite the pitching changeups, the Tar Heels seemed unfazed throughout the night. Eight different Tar Heels combined for 13 hits. First baseman Dillon Hazlett had two hits in three at bats, two RBIs, and two runs during the game.

The Tar Heels will travel to Charlottesville, Va. this weekend for the first of their last two ACC series of the season. Tied with NC State at 11-13 in the conference, UNC is fighting the Wolfpack for the eighth and final spot in the upcoming ACC tournament.

And it’s something Fox has always got in the back of his mind.

“We’ve got to go up to Virginia and try and get a win or two up there against one of the best teams in the country,” he said. “We’re fighting for our lives here down the stretch.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.