No. 6 North Carolina (1-0) began its campaign back to the College World Series with an opening day win, 5-1, over Texas Tech (0-1) on Friday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. It was the first of two games on Friday, and the first time since 2012 that the Diamond Heels have began the season with a doubleheader.
Sophomore pitcher Jason DeCaro got the nod for North Carolina on opening day. The New York native threw for five innings and struck out six batters while only allowing a single hit.
DeCaro leaned on his fastball early and often. He sat in the 92-94 mph range and threw it for the first 11 pitches of his outing — producing two strikeouts in the first.
Three Diamond Heels recorded multiple hits, including junior outfielder Rom Kellis whose two doubles led the team in extra base knocks.
In the bottom half of the inning, graduate designated hitter Sam Angelo put North Carolina on the scoreboard first with a ground ball through the right side of the infield. His hit was UNC’s first of the day and scored sophomore catcher Luke Stevenson from second base.
The Diamond Heels added three more runs in the second and third innings. It was an RBI single by graduate first baseman Hunter Stokely and a pair of sacrifice hits by graduate outfielder Tyson Bass and infielder Alex Madera that put UNC ahead by four runs.
North Carolina continued to poor on runs even after a Texas Tech pitching change in the bottom of the fourth. It began with a single from junior outfielder Kane Kepley, before Bass drove him home from first with a pulled double down the third base line.
To start the sixth inning, graduate Jake Knapp took the mound in relief for the first time in 623 days after suffering a torn UCL injury a week before opening day last season. The right-hander recorded a three-pitch strikeout against his first batter, before retiring the side.
It was a home run robbery by Kepley in center field that helped aid Knapp and continued North Carolina’s shutout. The transfer from Liberty University fully extended over the center field wall to bring the ball back and end the inning.
