No. 16 UNC baseball blasts past Wake Forest, 11-1, in game one

The No. 16 North Carolina baseball team (26-8, 9-7 ACC) defeated Wake Forest (24-11, 9-7 ACC), 11-1, on Friday evening at Boshamer Stadium. 

Following their last marathon of a series, in the opening night of their crucial series against Wake Forest, the Diamond Heels dominated the scoreboard thanks to their defensive efforts — and massive hits from junior outfielder Kane Kepley and sophomore infielder Gavin Gallaher.

At the top of the first inning, the Demon Deacons drew triple walks which brought only the first out. The Deacon had all the bases loaded, and were ready to capitalize off of a hit. Following a strike out, Luke Costelo flied out to center field and left Wake Forest without a run on the board. 

The Tar Heels sought out to come out on top at the bottom of the first, but they couldn't quite answer Chris Levonas’ pitches. It was evident this ballgame was going to be a pitching marathon, with North Carolina sitting at the top of the ACC for pitching and Wake Forest close behind at number two.

“I thought our offense was really locked in,” head coach Scott Forbes said. “I feel like they've been starting to turn the corner.”

The Demon Deacons opened the top of the second with a similar tone as the first. They failed to score and quickly sent the game into the bottom of the inning. Graduate outfielder Tyson Bass singled out his ball to left field, with graduate infielder Hunter Stokely singling his out to the right. With a walk from Gallaher, the bases were loaded. Graduate infielder Alex Madera delivered the hit to right field that sent Bass home. With this momentum, Stokely and Gallaher scored. After advancing to third base on a balk, first-year outfielder Perry Hargett  scored the fourth run for North Carolina after senior infielder Jackson Van De Brake sent the ball out to left field.

“When you're up that big, it makes it a lot easier on the pitchers,” right-handed pitcher Jake Knapp said. 

With the Tar Heels up 4-0, WFU once again aimed to put a run on the board. With Kade Lewis, the ACC’s leader in batting average, up to bat, the Demon Deacons' scoring endeavor was almost in reach. With two bases loaded, they came up just short at the end of the top of the third inning.  

It appeared that UNC would have a dry third inning to complement Wake Forest after Bass struck out. But Madera stepped up to bat and delivered a double that sent Gallaher all the way home from first base. 

Following an early strike out — and multiple flies — the Diamond Heels’ defensiveness paid off quickly at the top of the fourth inning. 

Kepley scored the first home run of the night —which was followed by Van De Brake scoring off Stokely’s double to left field — but the Tar Heels weren’t done yet. Gallaher followed Kepley’s homerun with his own and brought Stokely home, bringing North Carolina with a 9-0 lead against the Deacons at the end of the fourth inning.  

Despite the Demon Deacons swapping out pitchers for a change of pass at the bottom of the fourth, North Carolina was still holding a large lead. WFU scrambled in the fifth inning to catch up, but the Demon Deacons failed to record a hit. It was a dry fifth inning for the Tar Heels as they adjusted to match Wake Forest’s pitcher change.  

The Deacons finally got their first run at the top of the sixth inning. Jack Winnay tripled out to third base, and was brought home after Costello’s sacrifice bunt.  Sophomore catcher Luke Stevenson scored off Gallaher's hit. 

Despite some base advances, the Demon Deacs couldn’t match their efforts from the previous inning. UNC continued to dominate within the diamond, conquering the Demon Deacons 11-1 following a wild pitch.

“Once you leave the Bosh, it’s over,” Gallaher said, “you’ve gotta move on, and get ready for the next day.”

The Diamond Heels will be at home on Saturday at Boshamer Stadium to continue the series at 1 p.m. 

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com