After three losses in five games last week, the North Carolina baseball team bounced back on Tuesday to beat VCU by a final score of 8-2.
What happened?
The Tar Heels (10-3) scored early and often Tuesday afternoon, finishing with more to show for a similar number of hits to VCU (6-6).
It all started with a couple of two-out hits in the bottom of the first to jump out to a 2-0 lead. Brian Miller doubled in the left center gap for the first hit of the game, Zack Gahagan followed with a walk and Ashton McGee drove in both his teammates with a triple crushed out to the left center wall.
North Carolina added another in the bottom of the third. Logan Warmoth and Miller both singled and a wild pitch set up first and third with Warmoth in scoring position. Gahagan hit a sacrifice fly out to left field, just deep enough to score his teammate.
The scoring continued into the fourth and fifth innings. Kyle Datres lead off the inning with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Ike Freeman. Cody Roberts scored his teammate with two outs by beating out the throw at first on an infield single.
A host of hits in the fifth piled on three more for a 7-0 lead. Miller and Gahagan singled and Datres was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Freeman's double scored both Miller and Gahagan. Brandon Riley quickly followed with a sacrifice fly to score Datres.
After the fifth inning, Tyler Baum came off the mound and Cole Aker came in. Aker gave up no hits in 1.1 innings pitched, but walked two batters that eventually scored on his account.
In the seventh inning, UNC hopped back on the board and scored one last run to go up 8-2 after McGee walked and was driven in by a double from Riley.
