An athletic double-play by graduate shortstop Alex Madera recorded the game’s final out and prevented a tying run from scoring to help No. 19 North Carolina (23-7, 7-6 ACC) squeak past Duke (20-11, 7-6 ACC), 4-3, on Thursday night’s series opener at Boshamer Stadium.
Senior infielder Jackson Van De Brake’s single and two-run homer was the difference in UNC’s slim victory over the Blue Devils. He also joined left fielder Perry Hargett as the two Diamond Heels who recorded multi-hit games.
It took until the third inning for North Carolina to record its first hit. Madera led off the inning with a single to left before Van De Brake followed with a line-drive single of his own. The very next at-bat, Hargett was plunked and the Diamond Heels loaded the bases with no outs.
Following a mound visit, Duke’s starting pitcher Owen Proksch plunked his third batter of the game — the second time hitting center fielder Kane Kepley — and allowed UNC to score the first run of the game uncontested.
But with the bases still loaded and no outs, the next three North Carolina batters struck out to strand all runners.
To start the fourth inning, Duke answered with a two-run homer to right field after an error by UNC first baseman Hunter Stokely allowed a free baserunner. In the bottom half, Van De Brake tallied his first home run of the season — a two-run shot — to take back a 3-2 lead for North Carolina.
The Diamond Heels kept the one-run advantage all game, even after graduate starting pitcher Jake Knapp ended his night after seven complete innings. He finished with two strikeouts and allowed only one earned run on four hits while tossing 112 total pitches.
In the bottom of the eighth, a routine ground ball off the bat of Kepley found the glove of Duke second baseman Jake Berger but as he stepped to throw, Berger slipped and allowed Kepley to reach on an error. At the same time, Hargett rounded third base and scored to help pad UNC’s lead heading into the final inning.
Out of the bullpen, first-year reliever Ryan Lynch blanked the Blue Devils in the eighth inning but loaded the bases in the ninth. A strikeout that turned into a passed ball allowed Duke’s leadoff man to reach, before a walk and the game’s seventh hit by pitch juiced the bags with no outs.
