Diamond Heels Fall 5-4 To NC State

Friday, April 19

Raleigh, N.C.

6 p.m.

North Carolina

29-10, 14-6

NC State

22-14, 12-8

North Carolina

NC State

April 19, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: UNC Athletics Communications

RALEIGH, N.C. – Brandon Butterworth had an RBI single and scored the game-winning run on a passed ball in the eighth inning to give NC State a 5-4 win over No. 11 North Carolina on Friday at Doak Field.

Jaxon Lucas (1-0) pitched two hitless innings with two strikeouts. In the ninth, Jacob Dudan retired the side for his fourth save of the season.

UNC (29-10, 14-6) led 4-1 after six innings but suffered its third straight one-run loss.

"I talk to these guys so much about being forward with your thinking," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "You can't bask in a win, and you can't be gloomy about a loss. It doesn't define you. We lose these two games and win tomorrow, all the sudden you feel good.

"We'll regroup tonight and try to play better and more complete tomorrow."

Eli Serrano's two-out RBI single off Dalton Pence made it a two-run game in the seventh. Butterworth's eighth-inning base knock brought the Wolfpack (22-14, 12-8) within a run, and Jacob Cozart scored on a wild pitch to tie it while Butterworth advanced to second.

Luke Nixon's groundout moved Butterworth to third with two outs. Butterworth then dashed home with the game-winning run as Matthew Matthijs' pitch eluded catcher Luke Stevenson.

Matthijs (11-3) took the loss for the Tar Heels.

"We're up 4-1 in the seventh inning, and our bullpen has won those games, and we just didn't get it done today," Forbes said. "[Matthijs] has arguably been our best relief pitcher all season. Unfortunately, we had a wild pitch and a passed ball; either way, we gave them two runs.

"Give them credit, they got big hits, and we didn't. They did some things a little bit better than we did. We've got to play better to win on the road."

Vance Honeycutt, Parks Harber, and Gavin Gallaher hit solo home runs, and Colby Wilkerson delivered an RBI single.

Honeycutt homered in his fifth straight game, tying Harber's school record set earlier this season.

The Tar Heels had a chance to break the game open in the seventh, putting two on with nobody out. Lucas struck out Honeycutt and got Casey Cook to fly out before Alec Makarewicz picked up a shot down the third base line off the bat of Alberto Osuna and beat Anthony Donofrio to the bag to end the inning.

NC State pitchers held the Tar Heel hitters to just five hits.

UNC starter Shea Sprague allowed just one run in six innings and struck out seven.

The series resumes and concludes on Saturday, April 20, at 3 p.m. Junior Aidan Haugh (2-0) will take the ball for the Tar Heels, with freshman Cooper Consiglio (0-1) getting the start for NC State.