DeCaro Outduels Duke To Lead Heels To 3-1 Win

Thursday, April 23

Durham, N.C.

7 PM

North Carolina

35-7-1

Duke

22-22

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
North Carolina	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	3	6	1
Duke	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	3	0

Photo by: AINSLEY E. FAUTH

April 24, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score

By: William Soulé

DURHAM, N.C. – Jason DeCaro dominated Duke and led North Carolina to a 3-1 win on Thursday night to open the series strong at Jack Coombs Field.

The No. 2 Tar Heels (35-7-1, 16-6 ACC) became the second team in the country to reach 35 wins in 2026 on the back of DeCaro's gem and some timely hitting paired with excellent baserunning. It was the 24^th time this year that the Carolina arm barn has held their opponents to three runs or less, the most such occurrences through 43 games played since 2014.

The story of the game was obviously DeCaro, who was phenomenal on the bump for the second straight week. Dating back to last week's win over No. 2 Georgia Tech, he's thrown 12.2 innings while giving up just one earned run.

Tonight, it was his second longest outing of the year with 7.2 IP, seven strikeouts, three hits, and only one run that was unearned, scored on an error after he had already left the game. After a first inning single, Duke would not register a hit until the eighth with five three up and three down frames in between.

DeCaro's fellow National Pitcher of the Year Semifinalist Walker McDuffie came in to finish the game off, punching out three in 1.1 IP while not allowing a singular baserunner.

That first inning hit for Duke came from RJ Hamilton, who came into the game with 22 steals. He would not add to that number as Macon Winslow, the former Blue Devil turned Heel, threw him out for Winslow's seventh runner caught stealing this year.

On the other hand, the Tar Heels swiped a season-high seven bases led by four from leadoff man Jake Schaffner who is now up to 20 on the year. The four is the most by a Carolina runner this season and the most since Kane Kepley had the same against Elon last year.

All three of Carolina's runs on the day were accompanied by high quality baserunning. The first, an Owen Hull RBI single, was preceded by Schaffner stealing his way to third to put himself in position to score on a chopped single.

The next RBI, another single this time from Jadyn Nunez, was set up by Cooper Nicholson having the speed and smarts to tag up on a fly ball to right center. He would come around home on the single from second base.

The Heels third score was brought in by Hull once again, lacing a double to left center that Gavin Gallaher legged out to home all the way from first base. Hull, the man on fire as of late, is now hitting .446 in conference play and added two more hits and RBIs to his total of 41 and 36 respectively against ACC opposition.

The Tar Heels will drive back to Durham tomorrow looking to lock up the series. First pitch under the Friday night lights is set for 6 p.m. with coverage back on ACCNX.