By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — Jake Schaffner is the latest in a line of dynamic North Carolina leadoff men, giving No. 8 UNC plenty of spark at the top of the order.
The North Dakota State transfer shortstop went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI as the Tar Heels coasted to a 12–2 win over Le Moyne on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium.
It marked the program’s first streak of three consecutive run-rule victories for UNC (10–1–1) in the third season that the rule became widely used. It was the sixth such win this season after last year’s club didn’t record its sixth until mid-April.
Schaffner set the tone early and capped his day with a 379-foot, two-run shot down the right-field line in the sixth inning. Off the bat, he wasn’t sure what he had.
“I thought it was foul at first, I’m not going to lie,” Schaffer said. “And then I looked up, and I couldn’t even see it because the sun was in my way.”
He leads the team in batting average (.467), hits (21), doubles (4), triples (3), total bases (37), steals (6) and hit-by-pitches (5).
There is no shielding his power potential after already equaling his home run total of last season with his second long ball, a sign of the adjustments he has made in Chapel Hill.
“I think when I get into plus counts, like today it was 2–0, really getting my A swing on, trying to put the ball to play, trying to take a swing and take advantage,” he said.
He has also worked to create more pull-side lift by starting with his hands a little lower, an adjustment from his routine before.
“I can really move them back and then get loaded,” Schaffner said. “Trying to catch the ball more out front. I’ve always been able to hit the ball over the shortstop’s head. Now, I’m trying to elevate the ball more to the pull side.”
Coach Scott Forbes sees similarities between Schaffner and last season’s leadoff man, center fielder Kane Kepley.
“I think he’s very similar to Kepley,” Forbes said, pointing out that Schaffner is hard to strike out. “He’s a runner. Doesn’t run as fast as Kepley. He’s a bigger kid than Kep, but their skill sets are very similar as far as using the whole field. He’s got that ability to hit anybody’s fastball. ”
Forbes also praised Schaffner’s willingness to adapt and be coachable, joking that if he told the left-handed hitter to go up there right-handed, he’d do it.
Schaffner helped UNC get more than enough offense for Ryan Lynch (1–0), who had the best of his three starts, going on Saturday after getting the Sunday slot the previous two weekends.
Forbes said that Lynch, who allowed five hits, one run and one walk with six strikeouts in six innings, grew stronger as the afternoon unfolded.
“Right around that 50th pitch, I feel like he starts to hit his stride. So, normally, I would have sent him back out there, but with our lead in that long sit, decided not to,” Forbes said. “I thought he set the tone; he was in complete control for the most part.”
After Le Moyne scratched across a run in the second on Robert Wegrzyn’s two-out single, left fielder Perry Hargett cut down a runner at the plate on the same play to end the inning at one.
Forbes was not surprised by the throw from Hargett, who got his first start of the season.
“He shortened his arm swing. He came in here as an infielder. He got moved to the outfield. We saw it a lot in the fall. I watch him throw every single day. He takes pride in his throwing. His release is ultra quick,” said Forbes, who recalled Hargett getting four or five assists in the preseason.
Hargett credited Assistant Coach Scott Jackson with scouting the Le Moyne batter well, so that he was lined up perfectly for where the ball was hit.
“It was just hit right at me. I got it on the second hop, and that’s something I love to do. And we practice a lot,” Hargett said. “I’ve had to get a lot better at running through that ball and being comfortable taking a risk with two outs there, and just lined up well and came out of my hand well.”
The assist was a milestone moment for Hargett, who recently returned from a broken ring finger in his right (throwing) hand, suffered a week before the season.
“I was really thankful with it just being the tip of my finger, I was able to move around, be in the weight room with the guys,” Hargett said.
He resumed swinging about a week and a half ago and worked his way back into the lineup without altering his approach. He looked sharp Saturday, going 2-for 3 with two runs and an RBI.
“He’s gonna compete. And most of the time, that’s the most important thing,” Forbes said. “He’s not a natural-born hitter. He’s had to work really, really hard on his swing, and it’s continuing to improve.”
UNC tied the game in the second on Carter French’s sacrifice fly, then broke it open with a seven-run fourth. Hargett and Schaffner delivered RBI singles before Erik Paulsen launched his team-leading fifth home run, a 395-foot blast to left-center that sailed over the netting.
Schaffner appreciates what Paulsen brings to the middle of the order.
“His energy is very contagious. He’s always smiling, always joking around. He keeps us loose, for sure,” Schaffner said. “He’s my roommate, so that I can spend a lot of time with them. And it’s great; I’ve formed a very good friendship with him, and I’m really glad he’s here.”
Macon Winslow added an RBI single in the sixth inning, when another run scored on a wild pitch.
Senior right-hander Matthew Matthijs closed it out in the seventh inning, allowing a solo homer to Wegrzyn before striking out Paulie Goodness to secure the run-rule victory.
Subscribe to read Tar Heel Tribune ad-free
Subscribe for a cleaner, smoother reading experience without the flashing banners, slow-loading elements, or those especially annoying pop‑up ads that interrupt the flow of the story. You’ll also get the first version of each story emailed to you. The only ads you’ll see are static, non-intrusive ads for UNC‑related books, and there are none currently on the site.
Notes
— Carolina goes for the three-game series sweep at 1 p.m. Sunday with junior left-hander Folger Boaz (1–0, 3.72) starting for the Tar Heels.
— This series is the first time UNC has faced Le Moyne, a college in Syracuse, N.Y., in its first season at the Division I level.
— Opponents have scored on Le Moyne (0–8) in 34 of 56 innings this season.
No. 8 UNC 12, Le Moyne 2 (7)
| Date(s) | Day/ month | Scores | Opponent (current rank) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February | ||||
| 13–14 | Fri., Sat. | W, 9–4; W, 12–2 (7); W, 4–3 (11) | vs. Indiana | 3–0 |
| 17 | Tuesday | W, 10–0 (7) | vs. Richmond | 4–0 |
| 18 | Wednesday | W, 5–3 | vs. Longwood | 5–0 |
| 20–22 | Fri.-Sun | W, 10–0 (8); L, 10–3; T, 3–3 | vs. East Carolina | 6–1–1 |
| 24 | Tuesday | W, 9–1 | vs. N.C. A&T | 7–1–1 |
| 25 | Wednesday | W, 13–3 (7) | vs. VCU | 8–1–1 |
| 27–28 | Fri., Sat. | W, 16–3 (7); W, 12–2 (7) | vs. Le Moyne | 10–1–1 |
| March | ||||
| 1 | Sunday | W, 21–1 (7) | vs. Le Moyne | 11–1–1 |
| 3 | Tuesday | W, 5–1 | vs. Elon | 12–1–1 |
| 6–7 | Fri., Sat | L, 13–3 (7); L, 9–2; W, 8–7 (12) | vs. Virginia | 13–3–1, 1–2 ACC |
| 10 | Tuesday | W, 13–3 (7) | vs. Bucknell | 14–3–1 |
| 13–15 | Fri.-Sun. | W, 8–1; W, 6–2; W, 10–2 | at California | 17–3–1, 4–2 |
| 18 | Wednesday | W, 8–2 | vs. UNCG | 18–3–1 |
| 20–22 | Fri.–Sun. | W, 11–1 (8); L, 2–0; W, 7–6 | vs. Louisville | 20–4–1, 6–3 |
| 24 | Tuesday | W, 9–1 | vs. South Carolina in Charlotte | 21–4–1 |
| 28, 29 | Sat., Sun | W, 6–5; W, 13–7; W, 15–10 | at Notre Dame | 24–4–1, 9–3 |
| 31 | Tuesday | W, 5–4 (14) | vs. Campbell | 25–4–1 |
| April | ||||
| 2–4 | Thur.-Sat. | L, 6–1; W, 5–2; W, 8–7 | vs. Boston College | 27–5–1, 11–4 |
| 7 | Tuesday | W, 8–4 | vs. Charlotte | 28–5–1 |
| 10–12 | Fri.–Sun. | L, 9–5; W, 6–4 (14); W, 12–5 | at Clemson | 30–6–1, 13–5 |
| 14 | Tuesday | W, 14–5 | vs. UNCW | 31–6–1 |
| 17–19 | Fri.-Sun. | W, 5–2; W, 14–4 (8); L, 5–2 | vs. No. 2 Georgia Tech | 33–7–1, 15–6 |
| 21 | Tuesday | W, 9–2 | vs. High Point | 34–7–1 |
| 23–25 | Thur.–Sat. | W, 3–1; L, 3–1; W, 22–5 (7) | at Duke | 36–8–1, 17–7 |
| 28 | Tuesday | L, 12–2 | vs. Coastal Carolina | 36–9–1 |
| May | ||||
| 3 | Sunday | W, 13–0 (7) (non-conference game) | vs. Duke | 37–9–1 |
| 8–10 | Fri.-Sun. | W, 4–1; W, 12–2 (8); W, 7–3 | vs. Pittsburgh | 40–9–1, 20–7 |
| 12 | Tuesday | W, 13–7 | at UNCW | 41–9–1 |
| 14–16 | Thur.-Sat. | W, 9–4; W, 17–7 (8); L, 7–2 | at N.C. State | 43–10–1, 22–8 |
| ACC tournament | Charlotte | |||
| 22 | Friday | W, 10–4 | Quarterfinal vs. Virginia Tech | 44–10–1 |
| 23 | Saturday | W, 13–5 | Semifinal vs. Pittsburgh | 45–10–1 |
| 24 | Sunday | L, 13–6 | Championship vs. No. 2 Ga. Tech | 45–11–1 |
| NCAA tournament | ||||
| Chapel Hill Regional | ||||
| 29 | Friday | W, 8–0 | VCU | 46–11–1 |
| 30–31 | Sat.–Sun. | W, 7–5; W, 9–3 | East Carolina | 48–11–1 |
| June | ||||
| Chapel Hill Super Regionals | ||||
| 5–7 | Fri.–Sun. | L, 9–5; W, 4–0; W, 4–3 | Southern Cal | 50–12–1 |
| College World Series | Omaha, Neb. | |||
| 12 | Friday | W, 6–2 | No. 18 Ole Miss | 51–12–1 |
| 14, 17 | Sun., Wed. | W, 5–2; W, 12–7 | No. 9 West Virginia | 53–12–1 |
| 20–22 | Sat.-Mon. | L, 9–3; W, 6–2; L, 13–2 | CWS Finals vs. Oklahoma | 54–14–1 |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
