UNC baseball wins series vs. Wake Forest, 2-1

Coach Mike Fox has said several times this season that his team, with less run-scoring ability, has a smaller margin for error than in past years.

In No. 29 North Carolina’s wins Friday and Saturday, Wake Forest helped stretch that margin for error, but on Sunday the Demon Deacons (23-15,11-7 ACC) tightened it back up and left the Tar Heels just shy of a series sweep.

In the fourth inning Friday, senior Parks Jordan dropped a bunt right along the third base line, forcing Wake Forest third baseman Will Craig into a rushed throw to first that sailed into foul territory, scoring UNC’s first run of the weekend.

“Throwing the ball away — you can’t do that in this league,” Fox said after Friday’s 9-0 win, foreshadowing some of his own team’s costly errors in Sunday’s loss.

The Tar Heels (21-15, 9-9 ACC) kept on punishing mistakes Saturday, beating the Demon Deacons 4-3, thanks in part to a third inning in which Wake Forest allowed Michael Russell and Wood Myers to score after each reached base on consecutive errors in the infield.

But, come Sunday, UNC’s ability to limit mistakes evaporated, allowing Wake Forest to take a three-run lead in a first inning that lasted more than 20 minutes.

With men on first and second and two outs, Wake Forest’s Conor Keniry singled up the middle, and the Demon Deacons tested center fielder Skye Bolt’s arm.

Bolt, who has thrown out four runners from the outfield already this season, went after the trailing runner headed for third base, firing past the bag and into foul territory for his first error of the season, allowing another run to score.

“It’s a throw that I think if I had back again, I’d make the throw again,” said Bolt, who went 4-for-4 with two doubles Sunday.

UNC combined Sunday for 16 hits, but finished just one clutch hit short of a comeback in a 6-5 loss, leaving 14 men on base. The Tar Heels belted three line-drive outs with the bases loaded in the third, fourth and fifth innings, and Russell made the last out in the ninth with a man on first.

“Today was probably one of the unluckiest games I’ve ever been a part of,” said Russell, who went 3-for-6 with a solo home run Sunday.

Even with Sunday’s loss, a series win against Wake Forest, which is in second in the ACC Atlantic Division, is an important step for UNC, who earlier this season was swept by Duke and dropped a game against last-place Boston College

“You kind of have to be in the dugout at Duke and BC and then be in the dugout today,” Fox said. “There’s a big difference, which means we’re kind of growing and maturing.”

With critical series still left against No. 1 Virginia, No. 2 Florida State and No. 23 Miami, not to mention a rivalry game against No. 25 N.C. State Tuesday, UNC will need to grow and mature quickly.

The team doesn’t, after all, have a large margin for error.

sports@dailytarheel.com