By R.L. Bynum
Center fielder Owen Hull drove in three runs to back outstanding pitching from Ryan Lynch as No. 15 North Carolina rolled to its fourth consecutive victory.
Lynch tied his career-high with seven strikeouts in a career-high eight innings as the Tar Heels piled up 10 hits to earn a 6–2 victory Saturday in Berkeley, Calif., over California and clinch their first ACC series victory of the season.
UNC (16–3–1, 3–2 ACC) goes for the series sweep at 4 p.m. Sunday (ACC Network Extra).
Hull, a junior George Mason transfer, went 3-for-4 and is 6-for-9 in the series. He drove in the Tar Heels’ first three runs with two-out hits.
Hull got the scoring going in the first inning with an RBI single through the right side of the infield after Erik Paulsen’s double and Macon Winslow’s infield single.
Hull gave UNC a 3–0 lead in the third inning with a two-run single to right-center after Gavin Gallaher (2-for-5 with an RBI) and Paulson (3-for-4 with an RBI) reached on back-to-back one-out singles.
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California (13–6, 0–1) got both of its runs off Lynch in the sixth inning on Jett Kennedy’s two-run homer to left field.
The Tar Heels quickly got those two runs back in the seventh inning on two-out RBI singles from Gallaher and Paulsen. UNC tacked on another run in the eighth inning when Hull led off with a single, stole second, stole third and scored on a throwing error.
Lynch (winner, 2–1), a sophomore right-hander, gave way to sophomore right-hander Walker McDuffie, who retired the Bears in order in the ninth inning with a strikeout.
In the series finale, UNC left-hander Folger Boaz (2–0, 4.58 ERA) opposes Bears redshirt sophomore right-hander Gavin Eddy (3–0, 1.57 ERA).
No. 15 UNC 6, Cal 2
| Date(s) | Day/ month | Times/ scores | Opponent (current rank) | Record/ TV * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. No. 23 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. No. 22 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. 3 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. No. 8 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, noon, 1 | vs. Pittsburgh | 38–9–1, 18–7 |
| 12 | Tuesday | 6 p.m. | at UNCW | |
| 14–16 | Thurs.-Sat. | 7, 6, 1 | at N.C. State | Thurs. ACCN |
| 19–24 | Tues.-Sun. | ACC tournament | Charlotte | ACCN (final ESPN2) |
| 29–31 | Fri.-Sun. | NCAA Regionals | Campus sites | |
| June | ||||
| 5–7 | Fri.-Sun. | NCAA Super Regionals | Campus sites | |
| 12–22 | Fri.-Mon | College World Series | Omaha, Neb. |
- Games not on TV stream on ACC Network Extra unless otherwise note.
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
