University of North Carolina Athletics
Saturday, March 14
Berkeley, CA
5 PM ET
North Carolina
16-3-1, 3-2
6
at
2
Cal
13-6, 0-2
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
8th innning8
9th innning9
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
North Carolina
1
0
2
0
0
0
2
1
0
6
10
0
California
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
2
6
1
Photo by: AINSLEY E. FAUTH
Lynch’s Dominance Leads Baseball To Series-Securing Win, 6-2
March 14, 2026 | Baseball
BERKELEY, Calif. – Carolina baseball rode a gem of a start from Ryan Lynch to a 6-2 win over Cal on Saturday afternoon and in the process laying claim to their first ACC series victory of the 2026 season.
The No. 15 Tar Heels (16-3-1) got 8.0 innings out of Lynch, his longest career outing, as he held the Golden Bears to two runs on six hits and one walk. He also racked up seven strikeouts, tying his collegiate best mark there as well.
On the offensive, it was the Owen Hull show. The junior centerfielder logged his second three hit game of the weekend with three RBIs and a run scored to boot. His bat scored the first three runs of the game via singles in the first and third, putting Carolina squarely in the driver's seat and giving Lynch room to work.
He would also create the game's final run almost entirely on his own. Leading off the top of the eighth, he singled to get on before stealing his way to second. He then stole third, forcing an errant throw from a Cal defense that was not ready to defend his aggression, and then walked home for UNC's sixth.
Erik Paulsen joined Hull in the three-hit club, bringing in an RBI and scoring two of his own. Carter French picked up three walks, one importantly with two outs in the seventh that kept alive an inning that led to two more runs right when it looked like Cal might threaten. Carolina scored five of its six runs with two outs on the day, going an effective 7-14 at the plate with two outs.
Walker McDuffie followed his classmate Lynch on the mound, needing only nine pitches to wrap up the game with a flawless ninth inning.
The Tar Heels will head back to Stu Gordon Stadium tomorrow for the series finale looking for a road sweep. Game time for Sunday's contest is set for 4 p.m. ET on ACCNX.
The No. 15 Tar Heels (16-3-1) got 8.0 innings out of Lynch, his longest career outing, as he held the Golden Bears to two runs on six hits and one walk. He also racked up seven strikeouts, tying his collegiate best mark there as well.
On the offensive, it was the Owen Hull show. The junior centerfielder logged his second three hit game of the weekend with three RBIs and a run scored to boot. His bat scored the first three runs of the game via singles in the first and third, putting Carolina squarely in the driver's seat and giving Lynch room to work.
He would also create the game's final run almost entirely on his own. Leading off the top of the eighth, he singled to get on before stealing his way to second. He then stole third, forcing an errant throw from a Cal defense that was not ready to defend his aggression, and then walked home for UNC's sixth.
Erik Paulsen joined Hull in the three-hit club, bringing in an RBI and scoring two of his own. Carter French picked up three walks, one importantly with two outs in the seventh that kept alive an inning that led to two more runs right when it looked like Cal might threaten. Carolina scored five of its six runs with two outs on the day, going an effective 7-14 at the plate with two outs.
Walker McDuffie followed his classmate Lynch on the mound, needing only nine pitches to wrap up the game with a flawless ninth inning.
The Tar Heels will head back to Stu Gordon Stadium tomorrow for the series finale looking for a road sweep. Game time for Sunday's contest is set for 4 p.m. ET on ACCNX.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lynch, Ryan (2-1)
L: Foley, Ethan (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Paulsen, Erik 1
RBI: Gallaher, Gavin 1 ; Hull, Owen 3 ; Paulsen, Erik 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Schaffner, Jake 1 ; Gallaher, Gavin 1 ; Hull, Owen 1 ; French, Carter 1 ; Paulsen, Erik 2
SB: Hull, Owen 2
CS: French, Carter 1
Batting:
2B: Prather, Hideki 1
HR: Kenady, Jett 1
RBI: Kenady, Jett 2
Base Running:
RUNS: French, Jacob 1 ; Kenady, Jett 1
HBP: Olmstead, Lawson 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
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