UVA Ends Diamond Heels' Seven-Game Win Streak

Friday, March 10

Chapel Hill, N.C.

5 p.m.

North Carolina

11-4, 0

Virginia

13-0, 0

Virginia

North Carolina

Photo by: AINSLEY E. FAUTH

March 10, 2023 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

By: UNC Athletics Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Ethan O'Donnell and Jake Gelof combined for five RBIs and No. 17 Virginia halted No. 14 North Carolina's seven-game winning streak, defeating the Tar Heels 7-3 Friday night in the ACC opener for both teams.

Gelof and O'Donnell each homered while Griff O'Ferrall had three hits and scored two runs for Virginia (13-0, 1-0 ACC), who remained unbeaten.

The Cavaliers scored five runs in the second inning courtesy of a two-run double from Justin Rubin and a three-run homer by O'Donnell. Gelof hit a solo home run in the sixth after he singled to drive in a run in the first.

UNC starter Max Carlson (0-1) lasted only 1.1 innings after he allowed six runs on seven hits. The Cavaliers scored only one more run after his exit.

UNC relievers Will Sandy and Cameron Padgett combined for 16 strikeouts for the final 6.1 innings. Sandy struck out seven batters in 3.0 innings of work, matching his career-high from his 2020 performance against Minnesota, while Eaise fanned nine of 11 batters faced in 3.1 innings pitched, tying his career-best mark set against Wagner as a pitcher at Penn.

The Tar Heels struck out 18 in all, its most since fanning 18 Wake Forest hitters in a 15-inning affair in 2018.

"Will and Kevin were phenomenal," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "They were both extremely aggressive. That's big for our pitching staff. We thought they'd be good for us; we need them to be good for us."

Jackson Van De Brake drove in all three of North Carolina's runs with a two-run homer in the second, his seventh of the season, and an RBI single in the seventh. Van De Brake finished with three hits and Alberto Osuna collected two.

The Tar Heels collected eight hits in all, but only one with a runner in scoring position.

"We preach to them all the time about how batting average doesn't matter," Forbes explained. "Success with runners in scoring position is what matters. We're hunting RBIs and we're hunting runs, and we had those opportunities."

Making his third career start against UNC (11-4), Nick Parker struck out five in four innings and surrendered Van De Brake's two-run second inning home run.

The first three Tar Heels reached in the fourth to load the bases, but Parker struck out the next two batters and induced a fly out to end the inning. The Coastal Carolina transfer was lifted after the first two batters of the fifth inning reached base.

Virginia's relievers Angelo Tonas (1-0) and Jake Berry matched Sandy and Padgett inning-for-inning, holding the Tar Heels to one run on three hits in final five innings with six strikeouts.

The series resumes Saturday with a doubleheader at Boshamer Stadium. The first game is scheduled for 1 p.m. with the second slated to begin approximately 45 minutes following the conclusion of the opener.