UNC backs Eaise’s strong pitching with big offensive night in rout at Charlotte

By R.L. Bynum

No. 18 North Carolina had it all going right after a bumpy start, as the Tar Heels rolled to a 16–3 road victory over Charlotte on Tuesday.

The 49ers (6–10) took a lead on a pair of solo home runs off UNC starter Kevin Eaise in the first inning. He was dominant after that, and the Tar Heels backed him up with plenty of offense, racking up 17 hits, including three home runs and seven doubles. 

Carolina (13–5) scored in double figures for the seventh time this season and at least 15 runs for the third time.

Eaise (2–1), a graduate transfer from Penn, struck out eight in 6⅔ innings, walked one and gave up three hits after the first inning. Eaise, who threw strikes on 61 of 98 pitches, has struck out 17 in his last two outings.

Sophomore center fielder Vance Honeycutt (top photo) hit his first career grand slam in the seven-run second inning — a shot to left-center —walked twice, stole two bases and drove in five runs. He has six home runs and a team-high 12 steals.

Junior Alberto Osuna hit a two-run homer to left field in the second, when 12 Tar Heels came to the plate, and junior third baseman Mac Horvath belted a two-run shot to center in the three-run third inning.

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Junior catcher Tomas Frick, who was 3 of 4 with two RBI, hit a pair of doubles, including one in the seventh inning that drove in two runs.

Carolina added a pair of eighth-inning runs on bases-loaded walks, and a run in the ninth on Reece Holbrook’s RBI double to right-center.

NOTES — Carolina returns home at 4 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN3) to face High Point, with freshman left-hander Kyle Percival (2–0, 3.18 ERA) starting for the Tar Heels. The Panthers, picked to finish second in the Big South, are 6–9 after losing two of three games last weekend at Louisiana. … After losing two of three in its ACC-opening series at home against Virginia, North Carolina dropped four spots in the D1Baseball rankings to No. 18. The Cavaliers moved up three spots to No. 14. … UNC plays its first games outside of North Carolina this weekend with a three-game ACC series at Pittsburgh starting Friday. Pitt, which isn’t playing a mid-week game this week is 8–8 after losing two of three at Florida State last weekend. … Carolina leads the all-time series with Charlotte 36–8–1.

No. 18 UNC 16, Charlotte 3


DateMonth/dayTime/
score
Opponent
(current rank)
LocationTV/
record
February
17Friday10–8 LSeton HallHome0–1
18Saturday11–2 WSeton HallHome1–1
19Sunday4–2 WSeton HallHome2–1
21Tuesday14–2 WRadfordHome3–1
22Wed.10–0 WLongwoodHome4–1
24Friday6–5 LNo. 8 East CarolinaGreenville4–2
26Sunday6–5 LNo. 8 East CarolinaHome4–3
28Tuesday10–4 WVCUHome5–3
March
1Wed.14–10 WVCUHome6–3
3Friday3–2 W
11 innings
Stony BrookHome7–3
4Saturday7–5 WStony BrookHome8–3
5Sunday15–4 WStony BrookHome9–3
7Tuesday8–4 W,
5 innings
Western CarolinaHome10–3
8Wed.15–5 WPenn StateHome11–3
10Friday7–3 LNo. 5 VirginiaHome11–4,
0–1 ACC
11Saturday8–4 LNo. 5 VirginiaHome11–5,
0–2 ACC
11Saturday6–0 WNo. 5 VirginiaHome12–5,
1–2 ACC
14Tuesday16–3 WCharlotteCharlotte13–5
15Wed.16–2 WHigh PointHome14–5
17, 18Friday,
Saturday
17–7 WPittsburghPittsburgh15–5,
2–2 ACC
21Tuesday6–4 WN.C. A&THome16–5
23Thursday6–3 WDukeHome17–5,
3–2 ACC
24Friday8–5 LDukeHome17–6,
3–3 ACC
25Saturday5–3 WDukeHome18–6,
4–3 ACC
28Tuesday4 p.m.No. 19 Coastal CarolinaHomeNone
31Friday6 p.m.Notre DameSouth Bend, Ind.ESPN3
April
1Saturday3 p.m.Notre DameSouth Bend, Ind.ESPN3
2Sunday1 p.m.Notre DameSouth Bend, Ind.ESPN3
4Tuesday7 p.m.No. 9 South CarolinaCharlotteESPN3
6Thursday6 p.m.Georgia TechAtlantaSECN+
7Friday6 p.m.Georgia TechAtlantaESPN3
8Saturday1 p.m.Georgia TechAtlantaACCN
11Tuesday6 p.m.QueensHomeESPN3
13Thursday7 p.m.No. 23 MiamiHomeACCN
14Friday6 p.m.No. 23 MiamiHomeESPNU
15Saturday2 p.m.No. 23 MiamiHomeESPN3
18Tuesday6 p.m.CharlotteHomeESPN3
21Friday6 p.m.No. 14 Boston CollegeHomeESPN3
22Saturday2 p.m.No. 14 Boston CollegeHomeESPN3
23Sunday1 p.m.No. 14 Boston CollegeHomeESPN3
25Tuesday6 p.m.UNCWHomeESPN3
28Friday7 p.m.Virginia TechBlacksburg, Va.ESPN3
29Saturday7 p.m.Virginia TechBlacksburg, Va.ACCN
30Sunday1 p.m.Virginia TechBlacksburg, Va.ESPN3
May
2Tuesday6 p.m.CampbellHomeESPN3
3Wednesday5 p.m.No. 8 East CarolinaGreenvilleESPN+
9Tuesday6 p.m.Gardner-WebbHomeESPN3
11Thursday7 p.m.N.C. StateHomeESPN3
12Friday6 p.m.N.C. StateHomeACCN
13Saturday2 p.m.N.C. StateHomeESPN3
16Tuesday7 p.m.Coastal CarolinaConway, S.C.ESPN3
18Thursday6 p.m.ClemsonClemson, S.C.ESPN3
19Friday6 p.m.ClemsonClemson, S.C.ESPN3
20Saturday1 p.m.ClemsonClemson, S.C.ACCN
23–28 Tuesday–
Sunday
TBAACC ChampionshipDurhamESPN3
June
2–5Friday–
Monday
TBANCAA RegionalsTBA
9–12Friday–
Monday
TBANCAA Super RegionalsTBA
16–26Saturday–
Wed.
TBACollege World SeriesOmaha, Neb.
Rankings according to D1Baseball.

Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications

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