The No. 7 North Carolina baseball team (2-0) beat Xavier (0-2) on Saturday, clinching its first series win of the 2019 season.
What happened?
On a rainy and cold day at Boshamer Stadium, the Tar Heels took on Xavier in the second game of a three-game series, after winning the first game 12-3 on Friday.
On the mound for the Tar Heels was right-handed pitcher Tyler Baum, who made his first start of the season.
With two outs in the bottom of the first inning, North Carolina’s Aaron Sabato hit a 383-foot home run over the wall in right-center field, the only hit of the inning, to give the Tar Heels an early 1-0 lead.
Xavier scored its first run of the game in the top of the third. To open the inning, Xavier’s Kody Darcy hit a double into centerfield. Xavier’s Chris Givin then hit a single into center field, and Darcy was able to score from second and tie the game at 1-1.
The score remained tied until the top of the fifth. With one out and two men on base Xavier’s Jake Shepski hit a sacrifice fly to center field, and a run scored, giving Xavier the lead, 2-1.
North Carolina bounced back in the bottom of the sixth, however. With two men on base and two outs, Jackson Hesterlee hit a triple down the right field line and drove in two runs. The Tar Heels regained the lead, 3-2.
After taking the lead, the Tar Heels kept rolling offensively. In the bottom of the seventh with two men on base, Freeman hit a single through the right side and advanced to second on an error, and drove in a run.
