In what was a pitcher’s duel before North Carolina baseball defeated Virginia 3-2 in walk-off fashion to advance to the semifinals of Bracket 1 in the first game of the College World Series on Friday in Omaha, Nebraska.
Outfielder Vance Honeycutt once again became the hero for the Tar Heels hitting an RBI single to left field in the bottom of the ninth inning to give North Carolina the victory.
The Tar Heels willl face the winner of Tennessee/Florida State on at 7 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2.
The Tar Heels (48-14) started freshman pitcher Jason DeCaro against the Cavaliers on Friday, and he had trouble in the first inning, throwing 30 pitches, but finished strong after walking two batters and loading up the bases. In total, Decaro pitched four innings, recorded six strikeouts with four walks, four hits and one run allowed on 89 pitches in his first College World Series start.
The North Carolina started the scoring.
After a lead off with a single by outfielder Casey Cook and then a double by first baseman Parks Harber, Tar Heels outfielder Anthony Donofrio hit an RBI groundout to give North Carolina a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning.
The Cavaliers replied in the third inning with an RBI to tie the game at one.
There was no scoring until the sixth inning when the Cavaliers took a 2-1 lead on a sacrifice fly to center field. After going down in the sixth inning, Tar Heels outfielder Casey Cook singled to left field, which brought in a run to tie the game back up at 2-2 in the seventh inning for his third hit of the game.
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Here are three takeaways from North Carolina baseball’s World Series win over Virginia:
Vance Honeycutt’s postseason heroics continue
North Carolina’s Vance Honeycutt, one of the nation’s top outfielders and a projected top-20 selection in the 2024 MLB Draft in July, failed to record a single hit until it mattered the most for the Tar Heels with an RBI single to left field in the bottom of the ninth inning to give them the win.
Honeycutt, who ranks second in the ACC in home runs with 26, went 0-for-4 against the Cavaliers on Friday and failed to get on base before the game-winning hit.
North Carolina will need more from Honeycutt the rest of the World Series but another walk off shows the value he brings to the team.
DeCaro steady in College World Series debut
Despite the 30-pitch first inning, Jason DeCaro was able to finish strong and complete his College World Series debut in stellar fashion against Virginia.
Decaro pitched four innings, recording six strikeouts, four walks and just one run allowed on 89 pitches, keeping the Tar Heels within striking distance all day in his 19th start of the season.
The North Port, New York, native’s next potential start may come in the College World Series finals if the Tar Heels get there.
North Carolina’s arms shine in CWS opener
Led behind a great start from Decaro, the Tar Heels bullpen followed suit.
Senior Matt Poston and sophomore Dalton Pence combined to pitch the final five innings of the game, totaling three strikeouts, a walk and a hit. Pence earned the win.
North Carolina has potential to be the team to beat in the College World Series if they can continue to get this effort from the bullpen.