UNC baseball searches for positives in series loss

There is always a silver lining.

After splitting two games with No. 25 Virginia on Friday and Saturday, the No. 13 North Carolina baseball team lost 15-9 on Sunday for its third series loss in ACC play.

But Coach Mike Fox still found positives in the loss.

“We had some guys gain confidence at the plate, hit it right on the nose but it didn’t fall in,” he said. “It’s part of the game.”

The Tar Heels (25-11, 9-9 ACC) put the ball in play well against the Cavaliers (23-15, 9-9 ACC), striking out only 11 times on the weekend. But the hits just didn’t fall when they needed to.

“I was seeing the ball well all weekend,” said Brian Miller, who went a combined 0-for-10 in Friday’s 7-4 loss and Saturday’s 8-1 victory. “My swing felt good, but they just weren’t falling.”

But he started finding the gaps on Sunday.

The sophomore went 5-for-5 with a walk and three runs scored for UNC in Sunday’s loss.

“This is just one of the days where everything was falling,” Miller said. “Those come around once every season or so.”

Another bright spot for the Tar Heels was pitcher J.B. Bukauskas. The sophomore — who tossed a career-high 13 strikeouts against Virginia Tech — spun another gem on Saturday, striking out 11 batters in seven innings of one-run ball.

“It definitely felt good, not only the punchouts but knowing that it gave us a chance to go out and get a W,” Bukauskas said.

Bukauskas has found success on the mound as of late, ascending atop the NCAA leaders in strikeouts per nine innings.

“It feels good showing that some hard work is paying off,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it’s all about giving the team a chance to win.”

North Carolina also found solace in the Sunday return of pitcher Hansen Butler.

Butler held a 1.08 ERA through his first five appearances and was a pivotal cog in UNC’s bullpen. But the sophomore hadn’t pitched since March 2 after injuring his throwing shoulder.

“(It’s) great seeing him back out there,” Fox said.

“After being out for five weeks, to get out there and pitch as well as he did, it’s awesome.”

Butler struck out two batters on Sunday, giving up no earned runs in 1 1/3 innings of work.

Though he is still recovering from injury, the sophomore’s ability to finish tight games could prove vital for the Tar Heels down the stretch.

“His ability to come in there and close some games down for us is really big,” Bukauskas said.

“I’m really looking forward to having him back.”

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