By R.L. Bynum
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Wild scoring rarely seen at nearby John Paul Jones Arena made for a crazy night at the ballpark, complete with the teams trading big scoring streaks.
This was baseball on a blustery evening at Disharoon Park between the two highest-scoring teams in the ACC. Runs and overwhelmed pitchers were as common as fans wearing winter gloves, jackets and knit hats.
For the second straight Carolina game, both teams scored double-digit runs. But this time, a Ford drove No. 15 Virginia to a 14–11 victory, ending the No. 10 Tar Heels’ nine-game win streak.
“For a while there, pitchers on either side weren’t making pitches,” UNC coach Scott Forbes said. “When you have offensives like we have and they have, [the batters] make you pay.”
Virginia first baseman Henry Ford hit three home runs, including a grand slam, with half of the Cavaliers’ 10 hits landing on the other side of the outfield fence. The problem was that most of the home runs came after walks.
“You take away those free passes, free baserunners, and those might be solo home runs, and they don’t hurt you as bad,” said Forbes, bemoaning his pitchers’ walking seven batters and hitting two others.
The Tar Heels (25–5, 10–3 ACC), who won 14–10 Sunday at Wake Forest, rallied from a four-run first-inning deficit with nine straight runs to go up by five. In the eighth inning, Virginia scored its eighth consecutive run to lead by three.
Four Virginia relievers shut out the Tar Heels over the last six innings.
“It’s hard to win on the road,” Forbes said. “It’s hard to win at Virginia. When you have a lead like that, with the guys that we have in the bullpen, we just have to do a better job. It’s that simple.”
After combining to give up 28 runs in the last two games, Carolina’s pitching has to get better.
“It’s just a game that we didn’t pitch that great,” Forbes said. “I thought they did a good job in the bullpen. They had some guys that came in and did a good job of not letting us build on that lead. And that’s what you have to do in a game like that.”
Five players for UNC had two hits, including Parks Harber, who had his 13th multi-hit game, but the 12 hits for the Tar Heels weren’t enough.
“We just have to stop giving good offensive teams and good teams in our league extra outs and we will,” Forbes said. “We’ve got an awesome group. You move on, get ready to play the next day.”
Both starters paid for first-inning control issues that loaded the bases. Freshman catcher Luke Stephenson hit a two-run, two-out double down the right-field line off right-hander Cullen McKay.
Ford hit a no-out grand slam to right-center off UNC left-hander Folger Boaz. Boaz walked another batter and, after getting two outs, gave up a two-homer to third baseman Luke Hanson.
UNC chased McKay in his shortest outing of the season in a two-run second inning, with Casey Cook’s RBI single and Anthony Donofrio’s RBI groundout.
Boaz (2 innings, 3 hits, 6 runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts) got back on track in the second, thanks to right fielder Donofrio and center fielder Vance Honeycutt’s back-to-back diving catches of line drives, along with a strikeout, before exiting. Honeycutt’s catch was No. 4 on ESPN’s Top 10 Plays.
UNC seemingly took control of the game at that point when Colby Wilkerson’s two-run triple and Alberto Osuna’s RBI ground-rule double highlighted a seven-run third inning.
Carolina reliever Aidan Haugh (2⅓ innings, 2 hits, 4 runs, 2 earned runs, 4 walks, 2 strikeouts) retired four of his first five batters before second baseman Eric Becker’s first home run of the season in the fourth inning.
Virginia (24–6, 8–5) tacked on three more in the fifth. Ford’s second homer tied it at 11 in the sixth inning, a blast off Matthew Matthijs (1⅓ inning, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 strikeout).
UNC reliever Dalton Pence (loser, 2–1; 2 innings, 1 hit, 1 run, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts) retired his first six batters before Ford swatted his third home run to left field with two outs in the eighth inning.
Pence exited after walking the next batter and reliever Connor Bovair gave up consecutive RBI doubles to give Virginia a three-run lead.
“He’s got to come back after he gives up that home run and not walk a guy like that on four pitches,” Forbes said of Pence. “You’ve got to get that next guy out. Instead of being down by three, you’re down by one.”
NOTES — The series resumes at 6 p.m. Friday, with UNC right-hander Jason DeCaro (1–0, 3.63 ERA) opposing Virginia left-hander Evan Blanco (2–1, 4.05 ERA). In Saturday’s 1 p.m. series finale, Carolina left-hander Shea Sprague (1–1, 4.55 ERA) pitches against UVa right-hander Kevin Jaxel (4–0, 7.40 ERA). Both remaining games stream on ESPN3. … UNC scored 11 runs through three innings, topping the eight Wake Forest scored against Virginia on March 15. … UNC’s seven-run third inning tied the most runs in an inning against the Cavaliers (Virginia gave up that total in the eighth inning against Miami on March 10) … Virginia’s six first-inning runs were the most UNC has given up in any inning this season. … Virginia tied the most runs scored on Carolina this season, set in Miami’s 14–1 7-inning home win on March 15. … Shortstop Wilkerson is the only Tar Heel who has started every game at the same position. … UNC leads the all-time series 190–122–3. … Carolina has won six of the last nine meetings and had won the previous two games.
No. 14 Virginia 14, No. 10 UNC 11
ACC standings
| Coastal Division | League | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| No. 12 North Carolina | 17–7 | 34–11 |
| No. 11 Virginia | 14–10 | 34–12 |
| No. 10 Duke | 14–10 | 30–14 |
| Virginia Tech | 13–11 | 27–14 |
| Georgia Tech | 11–10 | 27–15 |
| Miami | 8–16 | 19–24 |
| Pittsburgh | 5–16 | 18–23 |
| Atlantic Division | League | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| No. 4 Clemson | 15–6 | 34–9 |
| No. 7 Florida State | 13–8 | 34–9 |
| No. 21 N.C. State | 12–9 | 25–17 |
| No. 13 Wake Forest | 12–12 | 28–16 |
| Louisville | 10–11 | 26–18 |
| Boston College | 8–16 | 21–22 |
| Notre Dame | 7–17 | 22–20 |
(Unless otherwise indicated, games only stream on ESPN3)
Tuesday’s results
No. 12 North Carolina 13, Charlotte 1, 6½ innings (10-run rule)
UMass Lowell 7, Boston College 6
UNCW 5, No. 20 N.C. State 4, 10 innings
Louisville 11, Northern Kentucky 7
No. 13 Wake Forest 10, Appalachian State 9
West Virginia 11, Pittsburgh 1
No. 11 Virginia 8, VCU 4
Wednesday’s games
William & Mary at No. 12 North Carolina, 6 p.m.
No. 13 Wake Forest at High Point, 6 p.m.
Navy at No. 11 Virginia, 6 p.m.
N.C. A&T at Virginia Tech, 7 p.m.
Thursday’s games
BYU at Miami, 7 p.m.
Louisville at Boston College, 7 p.m., ACC Network
Friday’s games
Louisville at Boston College, 5 p.m.
No. 20 N.C. State at No. 7 Florida State, 6 p.m.
Georgia Tech at No. 4 Clemson, 6 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame, 6:30
BYU at Miami, 7 p.m.
| Date | Day/ month | Time/ score | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February | ||||
| 16 | Friday | W, 10–3 | vs. Wagner | 1–0 |
| 17 | Saturday | W, 16–5 | vs. Wagner | 2–0 |
| 18 | Sunday | W, 20–6 | vs. Wagner | 3–0 |
| 20 | Tuesday | W, 8–7 | vs. Elon | 4–0 |
| 23 | Friday | W, 2–1 | vs. No. 5 East Carolina | 5–0 |
| 24 | Saturday | L, 7–4 | vs. No. 5 East Carolina in Fayetteville | 5–1 |
| 25 | Sunday | L, 10–9 | at No. 5 East Carolina | 5–2 |
| 27 | Tuesday | W, 8–2 | vs. VCU | 6–2 |
| 28 | Wednesday | W, 12–3 | vs. Longwood | 7–2 |
| March | ||||
| 1 | Friday | W, 12–2 | vs. Princeton | 8–2 |
| 2 | Saturday | W, 11–2 | vs. Princeton | 9–2 |
| 3 | Sunday | W, 13–6 | vs. Princeton | 10–2 |
| 5 | Tuesday | W, 7–3 | at Campbell | 11–2 |
| 8 | Friday | W, 2–1 | vs. Pittsburgh | 12–2, 1–0 ACC |
| 9 | Saturday | W, 7–3 | vs. Pittsburgh | 13–2, 2–0 ACC |
| 10 | Sunday | W, 6–5, 10 innings | vs. Pittsburgh | 14–2, 3–0 ACC |
| 12 | Tuesday | W, 13–7 | vs. Rutgers | 15–2 |
| 13 | Wednesday | W, 9–8 | vs. Rutgers | 16–2 |
| 15 | Friday | L, 14–1 | at Miami | 16–3, 3–1 ACC |
| 16 | Saturday | L, 2–1 | at Miami | 16–4, 3–2 ACC |
| 17 | Sunday | W, 18–6 | at Miami | 17–4, 4–2 ACC |
| 19 | Tuesday | W, 11–0, 7 innings | vs. UNCW | 18–4 |
| 22 | Friday | W, 5–4 | vs. Georgia Tech | 19–4, 5–2 ACC |
| 23 | Saturday | W, 11–5 | vs. Georgia Tech | 20–4, 6–2 ACC |
| 24 | Sunday | W, 9–2 | vs. Georgia Tech | 21–4, 7–2 ACC |
| 26 | Tuesday | W, 10–8 | vs. N.C. A&T | 22–4 |
| 29 | Friday | W, 6–5 | at No. 13 Wake Forest | 23–4, 8–2 ACC |
| 30 | Saturday | W, 10–6 | at No. 13 Wake Forest | 24–4, 9–2 ACC |
| 31 | Sunday | W, 14–10 | at No. 13 Wake Forest | 25–4, 10–2 ACC |
| April | ||||
| 4 | Thursday | L, 14–11 | at No. 11 Virginia | 25–5, 10–3 ACC |
| 5 | Friday | L, 7–2 | at No. 11 Virginia | 25–6, 10–4 ACC |
| 6 | Saturday | W, 12–7 | at No. 11 Virginia | 26–6, 11–4 ACC |
| 9 | Tuesday | L, 2–1 | vs. No. 15 South Carolina in Charlotte | 26–7 |
| 12 | Friday | W, 13–0, 6½ innings | vs. Notre Dame | 27–7, 12–4 ACC |
| 13 | Saturday | W, 7–2 | vs. Notre Dame | 28–7, 13–4 ACC |
| 14 | Sunday | W, 10–3 | vs. Notre Dame | 29–7, 14–4 ACC |
| 16 | Tuesday | L, 5–4 | vs. Coastal Carolina | 29–8 |
| 18 | Thursday | L, 9–8 | at No. 20 N.C. State | 29–9, 14–5 ACC |
| 19 | Friday | L, 5–4 | at No. 20 N.C. State | 29–10, 14–6 ACC |
| 20 | Saturday | W, 14–3 | at No. 20 N.C. State | 30–10, 15–6 ACC |
| 23 | Tuesday | W, 5–2 | vs. Gardner-Webb | 31–10 |
| 26 | Friday | W, 8–1 | vs. Virginia Tech | 32–10, 16–6 ACC |
| 27 | Saturday | W, 6–3 | vs. Virginia Tech | 33–10, 17–6 ACC |
| 28 | Sunday | L, 4–3 | vs. Virginia Tech | 33–11, 17–7 ACC |
| 30 | Tuesday | W, 13–1 | vs. Charlotte | 34–11 |
| May | ||||
| 1 | Wednesday | 6 p.m. | vs. William & Mary | ESPN3 |
| 7 | Tuesday | 6 p.m. | vs. Campbell | ESPN3 |
| 10 | Friday | 6 p.m. | vs. Louisville | ESPN3 |
| 11 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | vs. Louisville | ESPN3 |
| 12 | Sunday | 1 p.m. | vs. Louisville | ACCN |
| 14 | Tuesday | 6 p.m. | at UNCW | FloSports |
| 16 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | at No. 10 Duke | ACCN |
| 17 | Friday | 6 p.m. | at No. 10 Duke | ESPN3 |
| 18 | Saturday | 1 p.m. | at No. 10 Duke | ESPN3 |
| 21–26 | Tuesday- Sunday | TBA | ACC tournament in Charlotte | ACCN |
| 31 | Friday | TBA | NCAA Regional | TBA |
| June | ||||
| 1–3 | Saturday- Monday | TBA | NCAA Regional | TBA |
| 7–10 | Friday- Monday | TBA | NCAA Super Regional | TBA |
| 14–24 | Friday- Monday | TBA | College World Series in Omaha, Neb. | TBA |
Photos courtesy of Virginia Athletics
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