North Carolina
3-1
Radford
2-2
Six-Run Second Inning Leads Diamond Heels Past Radford
February 21, 2023 | Baseball
Percival (1-0), make his collegiate debut, struck out six and walked one, while allowing one run on three hits. He retired the final six batters he faced in order after giving up a leadoff home run to Radford right fielder Zack Whitcare.
Julian Rojas followed Whitcare with a walk, but that was the final batter to reach base against Percival. Tanner Barrs flew out to right field and Percival struck out the next two, and the Diamond Heels (3-1) led 7-1 after four innings.
"That's about as good as you can have as a debut as a freshman," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "I thought that was big for our team after our starters averaged 3.2 innings over the weekend.
"Kyle is a team guy and that's what I love about him. I know he'll do whatever we ask him to, and we needed that from him today. This sill do nothing but help his confidence."
UNC scored six runs in a wild second inning. Jackson Van De Brake laced a two-run single down the right field line, Vance Honeycutt smacked a two-run double to left, while Patrick Alvarez singled in a run and Casey Cook capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.
After scoring a single run in the third inning, UNC tacked on four more in the fifth inning with Cook and Tomas Frick each hitting a two-run single.
Cook finished the game with three RBIs, while Frick, Honeycutt, Van De Brake and Joe Jaconski drove in two runs each. Van De Brake and Stokely collected two hits apiece.
The Diamond Heels scored a and two more in the eighth inning and improved to 5-1 all-time against Radford (2-2).
UNC turned to its bullpen in the sixth inning and Nelson Berkwich, Will Simmons, Matthew Matthijs and Matt Poston each pitched one inning, and combined for nine strikeouts in four shutout innings.
Matthijs struck out the side in the eighth inning as did Poston in the ninth inning.
RU starter Foster Seitz (0-1) lasted just two innings, surrendering six runs on six hits.
The Tar Heels return to action Wednesday, Feb. 22, against Longwood. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Percival, Kyle (1-0)
L: SEITZ, Foster (0-1)
Batting:
2B: HENRY, Peyton 1
HR: WHITACRE, Zack 1
RBI: WHITACRE, Zack 1 ; PANCIONE, Garrett 1
SF: PANCIONE, Garrett 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WHITACRE, Zack 1 ; SHOEMAKER, Tristan 1
CS: WHITACRE, Zack 1
PO: ROJAS, Julian 1
Batting:
2B: Honeycutt, Vance 1
RBI: Honeycutt, Vance 2 ; Jaconski, Joe 2 ; Cook, Casey 3 ; Frick, Tomas 2 ; Van De Brake, Jackson 2 ; Alvarez, Patrick 1 ; Wilkerson, Colby 1
SF: Jaconski, Joe 1 ; Cook, Casey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Horvath, Mac 1 ; Cook, Casey 1 ; Frick, Tomas 1 ; Stokely, Hunter 1 ; Grintz, Eric 1 ; Van De Brake, Jackson 2 ; Alvarez, Patrick 2 ; Holbrook, Reece 2 ; Wilkerson, Colby 3
SB: Honeycutt, Vance 1 ; Cook, Casey 1
HBP: Frick, Tomas 1 ; Alvarez, Patrick 1
