No. 17 UNC hammers Princeton with 11-run 1st inning, rolls behind Boaz’s nine strikeouts

R.L. Bynum

By R.L. Bynum

CHAPEL HILL — No. 17 North Carolina took morning batting practice on Friday, but it all counted.

In a game that started at 11 a.m. to get ahead of the rain, the Tar Heels banged out 10 hits in an 11-run first inning when 16 UNC players batted. The rout quickly was on as Carolina rolled to a 12–2 victory Friday over Princeton in the opener of a three-game series.

“I thought we were just OK for the entirety of the 27 outs offensively,” UNC coach Scott Forbes said. “We usually aren’t going to give away an at-bat. We’ll learn from that, challenge the guys about that.”

That was plenty to back the pitching of freshman ace Folger Boaz (2–0, 2.16 ERA), who struck out a season-high nine batters, giving up three hits, two walks and two runs in seven innings and 106 pitches for Carolina (8–2).

UNC leadoff man Alex Madera, a slick-fielding shortstop, had four hits by the fourth inning, finishing 4 of 5 with three doubles and two RBI.

Princeton (1–3) scored in the first without a hit off Boaz. Princeton leadoff man Matt Scannell got hit by a pitch and later stole home.

“He didn’t have his stuff today; that shows how good he can be,” Forbes said. “He still had enough command to battle through it and give us seven complete.”

Carolina’s bottom of the first lasted so long, that Boaz went out to the bullpen to warm up before he came out for the second inning.

“Early on, first inning, had some command issues,” Boaz said. “Me sitting for that long, you sit on the bench, and you can think about it. But, as Coach Forbes says, it’s all about the next inning, next batter, next pitch. Going back to the pen really helped me dial back in, kind of find a rhythm.”

Boaz retired the last seven batters he faced.

“For the most part, I’m gaining a lot of confidence with different pitches and kind of finding the zone more,” Boaz said. “I think my slider was probably the best thing today. I was really struggling with my fastball command. Just getting ahead, getting ahead early and landing that first pitch was the biggest thing.”

Madera has settled in and flourished at the leadoff spot after Vance Honeycutt led off for the first few games.

“I feel like I’m seeing more pitches a little bit better,” Madera said. “Obviously, I’m trying to get my swing off on whatever I see. I get my swing off, then I feel like I’m fine anywhere in the lineup.”

Honeycutt highlighted that big first inning with a three-run homer to center field that bounced off the batter’s eye and would have traveled an estimated 423 feet. Three UNC players had two hits in the inning, including first baseman Alberto Osuna, who had a two-run double and an RBI single.

“The crazy part is obviously we got some help because they didn’t make some plays, but then we really stung some balls,” Forbes said of the first inning. “There’s one thing our offense has done a pretty good job of is not letting teams off the hook.”

Princeton starting pitcher Sean Episcope got only one out, giving up eight hits, 11 runs (eight earned) and throwing 56 pitches.

Casey Cook, who was 3 for 4 with two RBI, hit a sacrifice fly and tacked on a run in the second inning, and Princeton got an RBI single in the fourth.

Kyle Percival pitched the final two innings with one hit and one strikeout.

NOTES — Left-hander Shea Sprague (0–1, 6.75 ERA), a junior transfer from Elon, starts the second game of the series at noon for UNC. Freshman right-hander Jason DeCaro (1–0, 4.82) starts the series finale at noon Sunday.  … Two-time UNC All-American Scott Bradley is Princeton’s head coach. … Senior first baseman Parks Harber (concussion protocol) missed his third consecutive game but is expected back on Saturday. … UNC first baseman Jackson Van De Brake ended an 0-for-22 slump with a sixth-inning single. … Carolina leads the all-time series with Princeton 30–9 and has won the last 16 meetings.

No. 17 UNC 12, Princeton 2

DateDay/
month		Time/
score		Opponent/event
(current ranks)		TV/
record
February
16FridayW, 10–3vs. Wagner1–0
17SaturdayW, 16–5vs. Wagner2–0
18SundayW, 20–6vs. Wagner3–0
20TuesdayW, 8–7vs. Elon4–0
23FridayW, 2–1vs. No. 7 East Carolina5–0
24SaturdayL, 7–4vs. No. 7 East Carolina
in Fayetteville		5–1
25SundayL, 10–9at No. 7 East Carolina5–2
27TuesdayW, 8–2vs. VCU6–2
28WednesdayW, 12–3vs. Longwood7–2
March
1FridayW, 12–2vs. Princeton8–2
2SaturdayW, 11–2vs. Princeton9–2
3SundayW, 13–6vs. Princeton10–2
5TuesdayW, 7–3at Campbell11–2
8FridayW, 2–1vs. Pittsburgh12–2,
1–0 ACC
9SaturdayW, 7–3vs. Pittsburgh13–2,
2–0 ACC
10SundayW, 6–5,
10 innings		vs. Pittsburgh14–2,
3–0 ACC
12TuesdayW, 13–7vs. Rutgers15–2
13WednesdayW, 9–8vs. Rutgers16–2
15FridayL, 14–1at Miami16–3,
3–1 ACC
16SaturdayL, 2–1at Miami16–4,
3–2 ACC
17SundayW, 18–6at Miami17–4,
4–2 ACC
19TuesdayW, 11–0,
7 innings		vs. UNCW18–4
22FridayW, 5–4vs. Georgia Tech19–4,
5–2 ACC
23SaturdayW, 11–5vs. Georgia Tech20–4,
6–2 ACC
24SundayW, 9–2vs. Georgia Tech21–4,
7–2 ACC
26TuesdayW, 10–8vs. N.C. A&T22–4
29FridayW, 6–5at No. 8 Wake Forest23–4,
8–2 ACC
30SaturdayW, 10–6at No. 8 Wake Forest24–4,
9–2 ACC
31SundayW, 14–10at No. 8 Wake Forest25–4,
10–2 ACC
April
4ThursdayL, 14–11at No. 14 Virginia25–5,
10–3 ACC
5FridayL, 7–2at No. 14 Virginia25–6,
10–4 ACC
6SaturdayW, 12–7at No. 14 Virginia26–6,
11–4 ACC
9TuesdayL, 2–1vs. No. 24 South Carolina
in Charlotte		26–7
12FridayW, 13–0,
6½ innings		vs. Notre Dame27–7,
12–4 ACC
13SaturdayW, 7–2vs. Notre Dame28–7,
13–4 ACC
14SundayW, 10–3vs. Notre Dame29–7,
14–4 ACC
16TuesdayL, 5–4vs. No. 13 Coastal Carolina29–8
18ThursdayL, 9–8at No. 21 N.C. State29–9,
14–5 ACC
19FridayL, 5–4at No. 21 N.C. State29–10,
14–6 ACC
20SaturdayW, 14–3at No. 21 N.C. State30–10,
15–6 ACC
23TuesdayW, 5–2vs. Gardner-Webb31–10
26FridayW, 8–1vs. Virginia Tech32–10,
16–6 ACC
27SaturdayW, 6–3vs. Virginia Tech33–10,
17–6 ACC
28Sunday1 p.m.vs. Virginia TechESPN3
30Tuesday7 p.m.vs. CharlotteACCN
May
1Wednesday6 p.m.vs. William & MaryESPN3
7Tuesday6 p.m.vs. CampbellESPN3
10Friday6 p.m.vs. LouisvilleESPN3
11Saturday2 p.m.vs. LouisvilleESPN3
12Sunday1 p.m.vs. LouisvilleACCN
14Tuesday6 p.m.at UNCWFloSports
16Thursday6 p.m.at No. 6 DukeACCN
17Friday6 p.m.at No. 6 DukeESPN3
18Saturday1 p.m.at No. 6 DukeESPN3
21–26Tuesday-
Sunday		TBAACC tournament
in Charlotte		ACCN
31FridayTBANCAA RegionalTBA
June
1–3Saturday-
Monday		TBANCAA RegionalTBA
7–10Friday-
Monday		TBANCAA Super RegionalTBA
14–24Friday-
Monday		TBACollege World Series
in Omaha, Neb.		TBA

Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics

Published by R.L. Bynum

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