By R.L. Bynum
DURHAM — In a night full of outstanding pitching, Carolina junior Jason DeCaro was the best.
DeCaro was masterful in winning a duel with Duke starter Aidan Weaver as the No. 2 Tar Heels got just enough offense to earn a 3–1 victory Thursday night at Jack Coombs Field.
DeCaro (7–2) racked up seven strikeouts in 7⅔ innings and allowed only five balls to be hit into the outfield.
“He was in control the entire game,” said UNC coach Scott Forbes, lamenting that his starting pitchers hadn’t been going deep most of the season until Thursday. “We’ve talked to our starters about it, and they’ve worked really hard. That’s two back-to-back outings of what a [series opener] guy in this league should look like. It’s not surprising, because that’s who Jason DeCaro is.”
DeCaro (top photo) gave way to Walker McDuffie in the eighth inning after giving up two-out singles to Michael DiMartini and Tyler Albright, the latter on his 101st pitch. Albright stole second and scored on catcher Macon Winslow’s throwing error before McDuffie struck out Coltin Quagliano to get out of the inning.
McDuffie (below photo) then retired Duke in order in the ninth inning, striking out Kaden Smith to end the game for his fourth save. Forbes said the finish was a reminder of what wins on the road.
“If you win championships, you have to pitch, and you have to defend,” Forbes said. “I thought we did that at a really high level, making one mistake.”
Weaver’s fastball was consistently in the upper-90s and proved to be a challenge for UNC hitters over his six innings. The Heels were 2 of 9 with runners in scoring position against him. The senior right-hander tied his season high with 11 strikeouts (also at Florida State), and exited after throwing a season-high 104 pitches, 63 for strikes.
“[Weaver] had some nasty stuff, 95 to 97 with the Bugs Bunny change,” Forbes said. “If he’s in the zone, he’s going to be tough, and he got back in the zone. Credit to him.”
DeCaro said he leaned into the discomfort of pitching in a hostile environment, and that mindset helped him attack.
“Being uncomfortable out there like that, it forces you to go after guys, and that’s kind of the only way you can have success,” DeCaro said. “And knowing that and taking that into the game is really big for me.”
DeCaro did not have his cleanest command early, getting only two first-pitch strikes to the first five batters before doing that for 17 of the last 21.
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“I felt like I couldn’t really throw a ball below the belly button for the first three innings,” DeCaro said. “In the fourth, I felt like I settled in a little bit, was able to fill up the strike zone a little bit more. The quick outs helped me keep my pitch count down, but it took me a while to get going.”
The adjustment showed up in how he attacked early in counts, something Forbes noted afterward and DeCaro credited to simplifying his approach.
“Just stop trying to be so perfect, especially first pitch,” DeCaro said. “That’s the biggest pitch of the at-bat. Just going after guys, trying to throw it down the middle and let them get themselves out.”
That approach also fits the scouting report on Duke’s lineup.
“We knew they’re a pretty aggressive team,” DeCaro said. “So, we could make our pitch throughout the game, and I feel like we used that to our advantage.”
Jake Schaffer gave UNC (36–7–1, 16–6) the lead in the third inning when he led off with a single to center field, stole second and third bases, then came home on Owen Hull’s dribbling one-out single up the middle.
Schaffner stole four bases to boost his team-high to 20 as the Heels stole a season-high seven bases. UNC is the latest team to pile up steals against catcher Matthew Strand. The Blue Devils (22–22, 8–14) have thrown out only eight of 114 baserunners attempting to steal.
Forbes said the Tar Heels knew they had to manufacture chances against Weaver, and that the running game was part of the plan.
“We knew we could run off him,” Forbes said. “We’ve got to do anything we can when a guy has that type of stuff, you have to try to do anything you can. If you look at Weaver’s times to the plate, you can get good jumps. We had a plan if we got on, almost top to bottom.”
With Weaver out of the game, Carolina made it 2–0 against sidewinding reliever Marcello Mastroianni in the sixth inning. Cooper Nicholson led off by getting hit by a pitch, advanced to second on Colin Hynek’s fly ball and scored on Jadyn Nunez’s single to center field. Forbes pointed to Nicholson’s read and aggression as a detail that mattered.
“Coop made the right read, and he went hard,” Forbes said. “That was a huge run.”
The pivotal moment in the eighth came after those two-out singles, when Forbes walked to the mound, and DeCaro wanted to stay in the game.
“I told him I felt good,” DeCaro said. “He said we were going to go to Walker there, but Gavin [Gallaher] especially had my back and said he wanted me to stay in. That was nice to see. I wish I would have gotten that guy out there.”
Forbes said he was torn as he headed out, but he believed DeCaro had earned the chance and that the dugout was firmly behind him.
“I was 50-50 walking out there,” Forbes said. “I felt like he was in complete control. I felt like he could throw the ball wherever he wanted to. You have to know you’ve got McDuffie down there. If it’s a mistake and it goes over the wall, it’s a bad decision, so you’ve got to go where your gut is.”
There were cheers from UNC fans when Forbes left DeCaro in, but it turned out to be for only one batter.
DeCaro said the night’s tone never really changed for him, even with Weaver matching him pitch for pitch.
“I try not to focus on whatever the offense is doing or whatever their guy is doing,” DeCaro said. “I try to treat it like a 0–0 game, no matter what the score is. But in the seventh, when you look up and it’s a two-run game, it gives you a little juice.”
DeCaro also said he felt strong enough to finish the eighth, and that his pitch count was not a factor in his mind.
“No, not at all,” DeCaro said when asked about fatigue in the eighth. “I only threw 80 pitches last week, so that was kind of my argument out there. We have an extra week of rest after this. During a game, you’re not really going to feel fatigue. You’re on adrenaline out there.”
Carolina got an insurance run with two outs in the ninth inning. Gallaher beat out an infield single and scored from first on Hull’s double to left-center field.
Notes
— In Game 2 at 6 p.m. Friday (ACC Network Extra), UNC sophomore right-hander Ryan Lynch (3–3, 4.53 ERA) faces Duke junior right-hander Peter Lemke (1–4, 4.46 ERA). UNC hasn’t named a starter for Saturday’s 3 p.m. series finale, when Duke right-handed graduate student Andy Leon (2–2, 5.15 ERA) will start for the Blue Devils.
— Forbes said you could see freshman left-hander Jackson Rose on the mound in the series finale, or you could see him in Friday’s game.
— UNC’s seven steals were the most since the Tar Heels swiped 10 against Wagner on Feb. 18, 2024.
— Winslow and Colin Hynek have allowed just 14 steals on 24 attempts. Winslow threw out R.J. Hamilton, the ACC steals leader, marking only the third time in 26 attempts that Hamilton has been thrown out.
— On May 3, UNC and Duke will play a non-conference game at Boshamer Stadium.
— Carolina first baseman Erik Paulsen missed the game with a virus and is questionable for the rest of the series. With Tyler Howe moving from left to first base, Nunez was in left field in his sixth start of the season, and fourth in ACC play.
— In the second inning, UNC turned its ACC-leading 41st double play.
— Schaffner’s four steals were the most since Kane Kepley stole four last season against Elon.
— UNC has won five of the last six meetings with Duke and leads the all-time series 203–108–2, including 80–51–1 in Durham. The Tar Heels won two of three last season in Chapel Hill.
No. 2 UNC 3, Duke 1
ACC standings
| League | GB | Overall | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 3 Georgia Tech | 16–5 | — | 33–7 |
| No. 2 North Carolina | 16–6 | ½ | 35–7–1 |
| No. 22 Boston College | 14–7 | 1½ | 31–13 |
| No. 8 Florida State | 12–6 | 2½ | 29–11 |
| Miami | 10–8 | 4 | 30–11 |
| No. 10 Virginia | 12–9 | 3½ | 29–13 |
| Wake Forest | 11–10 | 5 | 28–14 |
| N.C. State | 9–9 | 5½ | 26–14 |
| Virginia Tech | 9–12 | 7 | 20–19 |
| Pittsburgh | 7–11 | 7 | 24–14 |
| Louisville | 7–11 | 7 | 23–18 |
| Stanford | 7–11 | 7 | 17–19 |
| Clemson | 6–12 | 8 | 26–16 |
| Duke | 8–14 | 8 | 22–22 |
| Notre Dame | 7–14 | 8½ | 18–18 |
| California | 6–12 | 9 | 21–18 |
Tuesday’s results
No. 2 North Carolina 9, High Point 2
Maine 6, No. 22 Boston College 4
No. 8 Florida State 4, North Florida 1
Liberty 13, Duke 10
Wake Forest 14, UNCG 3
No. 3 Georgia Tech 14, No. 5 Georgia 4 (7)
Pittsburgh 23, No. 12 West Virginia 1 (7)
Clemson 7, USC Upstate 2
Louisville 14, Kentucky 10
Wednesday’s results
No. 10 Virginia 5, Liberty 4
Notre Dame 3, Michigan State 2
Miami 5, Florida Atlantic 4
Stanford 6, Santa Clara 4
California 4, San Francisco 3
Thursday-Saturday series
No. 2 North Carolina at Duke — Thursday: UNC 3–1; Friday: 6 p.m.; Saturday: 3 p.m.
Friday-Saturday series
Wake Forest at No. 3 Georgia Tech — Friday: 7 p.m.; Saturday: noon (ACCN); Sunday: 1 p.m.
No. 22 Boston College at Notre Dame — Friday: 6:30; Saturday: 2 p.m.; Sunday: 1 p.m.
No. 10 Virginia at Pittsburgh — Friday: 6 p.m.; Saturday: 3 p.m.; Sunday: 1 p.m.
N.C. State at Virginia Tech — Friday: 6 p.m.; Saturday: 3 p.m.; Sunday: 1 p.m.
Clemson at Louisville — Friday: 6 p.m.; Saturday: 7 p.m. (ACCN); Sunday: 2 p.m. (ACCN)
California at Miami — Friday: 7 p.m.; Saturday: 6 p.m.; Sunday: 1 p.m.
No. 8 Florida State at Stanford — Friday: 9 p.m.; Saturday: 5 p.m.; Sunday: 4 p.m.
| 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. 10 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 | Thursday | W, 3–1 | at Duke | 35–7–1, 16–6 |
| 24, 25 | Fri., Sat. | 6, 3 | at Duke | |
| 28 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 9 Coastal Carolina | ACCN |
| 29 | Wednesday | 6 p.m. | vs. Queens | |
| May | ||||
| 3 | Sunday | 2 p.m. (non-conference game) | vs. Duke | ACCN |
| 6 | Wednesday | 6 p.m. | vs. Winthrop | |
| 8–10 | Fri.-Sun. | 6, noon, 1 | vs. Pittsburgh | |
| 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.
Photos courtesy of UNC Athletics
