Sprague shines as No. 15 Diamond Heels clinch series over Virginia Tech

After a gem by first-year righty Jason DeCaro on Friday, junior left-hander Shea Sprague gave the No. 15 North Carolina baseball team (33-10, 17-6 ACC) another great start, leading the Tar Heels to a 6-3 victory and series win over Virginia Tech Saturday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium.

Junior centerfielder Vance Honeycutt went 2-for-2 with a double and two walks. He stole a career high four bags. Defensively, UNC turned a season-high four double plays.

“He’s a freak,” head coach Scott Forbes said of Honeycutt. “I’ve never seen anything like it. His speed is unreal.”

Virginia Tech loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the first against Sprague with a walk and two singles. Sprague then induced a 4-6-3 double play. A run scored, but Sprague maneuvered out of the inning with minimal damage. After another walk, he struck out Gehrig Egel to end the frame.

“Threw some big pitches,” Sprague said. “The ground balls help. The ground-ball double plays, Madera and [Wilkerson] spun a bunch of them today. Those go a long way, just momentum killers.”

North Carolina took the lead in the bottom of the third off Hokie starter Brett Renfrow. Honeycutt doubled off the wall in center before redshirt-sophomore Casey Cook belted one over the wall in right for a two-run homer.

The Tar Heels scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to open up a 5-1 lead. Senior first baseman Parks Harber led off the inning with a single, and first-year catcher Luke Stevenson doubled into the right-field corner. Graduate second baseman Alex Madera singled to plate Harber, and first-year third baseman Gavin Gallaher drove in Stevenson with a single. Madera then scored the third run of the frame on a well-executed sacrifice bunt by senior shortstop Colby Wilkerson.

After a less than straightforward opening frame, Sprague settled in to give UNC six and two thirds brilliant innings of work. He was fired up as he exited to a standing ovation. Sprague allowed just the one earned run on four hits, striking out six Hokies. His ERA is now 3.40 on the season. 

“I thought he settled in pretty good,” Forbes said. “He wasn’t as sharp as he has been. But he’s tough, and he made pitches when he needed to.”

UNC tacked on another run in the bottom of the seventh with a Harber sacrifice fly. Sophomore right-hander Matthew Matthijs came on in relief of Sprague. He gave up a two-run home run to Christian Martin in the top of the eighth inning that made it a 6-3 game.

North Carolina held on, as redshirt-sophomore Dalton Pence came on with two aboard in the ninth and shut things down to earn the save.

Game three of the series between the Tar Heels and Hokies is Sunday at 1 p.m.

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