Emanuel, Moran lead Tar Heels past N.C. State.

“Smell ya later classes.”

That’s what North Carolina third baseman Colin Moran tweeted Friday — the University’s last day of classes. A few hours later, he sent the ball the same message.

Moran cranked a first-inning, three-run homer that sparked No. 1 North Carolina (41-3, 19-2 ACC) to a 7-1 win against No. 13 N.C. State (33-11, 14-8) in the series opener.

“It was a real memorable one,” Moran said. “Over the three years that I’ve played them, we haven’t beat (N.C. State) too much.

“I’m definitely a little bit more relaxed every year on the last day of classes. We’ve still got finals and stuff, but we start focusing on baseball.”

Moran launched a Ryan Wilkins fastball over the 400-foot sign in dead-center field and pushed the Tar Heels to an early 3-0 lead. North Carolina chased Wilkins after he allowed hits to five of the first six UNC batters while only recording a single out.

That one swing of Moran’s bat gave ace Kent Emanuel all the run support he needed. He limited the No. 13 Wolfpack to one run in eight innings before Trent Thornton got the final three outs.

Emanuel didn’t just say goodbye to his classes either — in the biggest moments of the game, he said goodbye to N.C. State’s best hitters as he sent them back to the dugout.

Every time N.C. State threatened, Emanuel came up with big strikeouts. In the second inning, with the bases loaded, two outs and UNC still holding its 3-0 lead, Emanuel blew away .438-hitting Trea Turner with a high fastball to end the frame.

And in the seventh inning, when the Wolfpack loaded the bases with no outs and pushed a run across on a sacrifice fly, Emanuel struck out N.C. State’s three- and four-hitters to limit the damage. He caught Brett Austin looking at an inside fastball, then got Tarran Senay to chase a slider low and away.

“We weathered that bases-loaded, no-out storm,” coach Mike Fox said. “That’s where Kent usually is at his best. He gets better when the situation gets a little dire.”

Emanuel finished the game with nine strikeouts, and he got stronger late. He struck out two in the seventh inning — Austin and Senay — and three in the eighth, his last inning of work.

“I’ll tell you what,” Emanuel said. “I don’t know what I’m more excited about — this win or being done going to class.

“You could feel it, honestly. Seriously, it’s a big deal with the team, the last day of classes. Everyone’s in a good mood, we have good energy. And it just kind of added to this whole experience.”

Both Moran and Emanuel could be early-round picks in this year’s MLB draft, and Moran will likely go high in the first round, so Friday might have been their last day of classes ever.

They made it count.

Smell ya later classes

— Colin Moran (@CMOran18) April 26, 2013