No. 6 UNC baseball falls, 8-7, to Louisville in first game of Friday doubleheader

The No. 6 North Carolina baseball team (15-3, 1-3 ACC) fell, 8-7, to Louisville (15-2, 1-0 ACC) in the first game of a doubleheader Friday afternoon at Jim Patterson Stadium. 

Despite mounting an early comeback, scoring seven runs and hitting two home runs, the Tar Heels dropped their third game of the season. A clutch grand slam gave Louisville the lead in the fifth inning, and the Cardinals did not look back. Seven earned runs and two errors cost North Carolina in the loss. 

The Cardinals got off to a quick start on a single from Lucas Moore on the first pitch he saw. UNC executed a double play to get their first two outs of the game, but a balk by sophomore pitcher Jason DeCaro scored Moore from third to give Louisville an early 1-0 lead. 

In the bottom of the second, Decaro settled in, striking out two batters in a 1-2-3 inning for North Carolina.

After two strikeouts and graduate right fielder Tyson Bass caught stealing, the Tar Heels remained scoreless. 

Zion Rose crushed a 446 foot two-run homer to the bleachers in left field to extend Louisville’s early lead to 3-0. 

Three consecutive walks by Louisville loaded the bases for the Diamond Heels to begin the fourth inning. An infield ground ball by graduate first baseman Hunter Stokely and subsequent errant throw by the Cardinals scored both junior center fielder Kane Kepley and sophomore catcher Luke Stevenson. 

The Tar Heels fourth inning offensive onslaught continued with a hard ground ball down the third base line by graduate shortstop Alex Madera, scoring Stokely to knot the game 3-3. 

After allowing two base hits and hitting a batter with a pitch, DeCaro was replaced by first-year Walker McDuffie. With the bases loaded and two outs, a diving effort by Madera on an infield ground ball kept the game tied at three.

It only took North Carolina five pitches into the fifth inning to take the lead, as first-year left fielder Sawyer Black blasted a solo shot to center field for his first home run of his college career. 

After Stevenson walked, Stokely continued his hot start with a moon shot just left of the batter’s eye in center field, increasing UNC’s lead to 6-3 in the top of the fifth inning. More run support came following an infield chopper from Madera that scored senior second baseman Jackson Van De Brake. 

After McDuffie walked two batters and allowed a single, junior pitcher Matthew Matthijs replaced him with the bases loaded and no outs. But Jake Munroe, the first batter Matthijs faced, roped a line drive grand slam to left field, tying the game up for Louisville at 7-7. 

Following a single by Garret Pike and another balk, Stokely was unable to handle Madera’s throw to first, scoring Pike and handing the Cardinals an 8-7 lead heading into the sixth. 

After UNC did not score in the sixth, the Cardinals put two runners on with one out. Munroe lasered a line drive down the line, but sophomore third baseman Gavin Gallaher saved a run with an outstretched catch. 

Two fly outs ended the bottom of the seventh inning for the Cardinals, leaving two runners stranded and unable to add to their one run lead. Louisville stranded two more runners in the bottom of the eighth, ending the inning on a long fly out. 

With Stevenson and Gallaher on base and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Stokely grounded out, ending North Carolina’s chance at a comeback. 

UNC will play the Cardinals at 7:15 p.m. for the second game of the doubleheader on Friday. The Tar Heels take on Louisville for the third and final game of the series at 3 p.m. on Sunday. 

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