No. 19 UNC Baseball Outlasts Duke, 4-3, in First Game of Weekend Series
In a thrilling opener to a highly anticipated rivalry series, No. 19 North Carolina edged past Duke with a 4-3 victory on Friday night at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels leaned on a combination of timely hitting, solid pitching, and clutch defense to secure the win in the first game of the weekend set.
UNC jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the second inning thanks to a two-run double by junior catcher Luke Stevenson. The Tar Heels added another run in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly from Parks Harber, extending their advantage to 3-0.
Duke answered in the top of the fifth, capitalizing on a pair of base hits and a UNC fielding error to score two runs and cut the lead to 3-2. The Blue Devils tied the game in the top of the sixth when Alex Mooney drove a single into center field, bringing in the equalizer.
The tie didn’t last long. UNC responded in the bottom of the sixth with what would be the game-winning run, driven in by Vance Honeycutt, who lined a single to right field to make it 4-3. That run proved crucial, as both bullpens settled in for the remainder of the contest.
UNC starter Shea Sprague delivered a strong performance, allowing just two earned runs over 5.2 innings with five strikeouts. The bullpen trio of Dalton Pence, Matthew Matthijs, and closer Kevin Eaise combined to shut down Duke’s offense over the final 3.1 innings. Eaise picked up his seventh save of the season, working around a leadoff walk in the ninth to secure the win.
Defensively, UNC turned two key double plays and committed just one error, a significant improvement from earlier games. Head coach Scott Forbes praised his team’s resilience after the game. “We battled tonight,” Forbes said. “Every guy contributed, and we found a way to win against a tough opponent.”
With the win, UNC improves to 24-9 overall and 10-6 in ACC play, while Duke drops to 21-11 and 8-8 in conference. The series continues Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. The Tar Heels will look to clinch the series while the Blue Devils aim to bounce back and even the score.
