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Hot Batting Powers UNC Blowout Win

Graham Kalish

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The UNC Tar Heels (16-13 ACC) blow away the Duke Blue Devils (13-15 ACC) 21-8 in their final game of a two-game series at Boshamer Stadium.

Both teams had a hot start swinging the bat: a single homer from Joey Loperfido and an RBI single from Peter Matt jumped the Blue Devils out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st. 

tomas frick catcher unc baseball lawrence davis iii graham kalish spectacular magazine sports writer
Catcher Tomas Frick celebrates with head coach Scott Forbes after a home run against Duke (credit: Lawrence Davis III/Spectacular Magazine)

But UNC had the bats blazing early. They responded with 9 runs in the first two innings, and they were only getting started. Brett Centracchio led the way for Carolina with two explosive homers, totaling four RBI.

When it was all said and done, the Tar Heels has five players with 3+ RBI:

Brett Centracchio – 4 RBI, 2 HR

Justice Thompson – 4 RBI, 1 HR

Dallas Tessar – 4 RBI, 1 HR

Danny Serretti – 4 RBI

Tomas Frick – 3 RBI, 1 HR

The hitting frenzy caused the Blue Devils to pull their ace, and one of the best pitchers in the ACC, Cooper Stinson, after giving up five runs on only eight batters faced. 

The Blue Devils had to go deep into their bullpen, utilizing the help of six pitchers over the course of Monday night’s game. 

For UNC’s ace, Austin Love, it was a shaky start. The Sophomore gave up seven hits (2 HR), six runs scored, and threw four wild pitches after two innings. Not a great night on paper, but after the rough start, the righty looked like a different man. 

Love seemed to find his groove in the 3rd, whizzing 95 MPH fastballs upstairs past batters with confidence. The proficiency the Tar Heels had hitting the baseball prevented UNC from having to go deep into their bullpen and allowed Austin Love the opportunity to get comfortable.

austin love pitcher unc baseball lawrence davis iii graham kalish spectacular magazine sports writer
Pitcher Austin Love (44) delivers a pitch against Duke (credit: Lawrence Davis III/Spectacular Magazine)

After four innings, the Tar Heels pulled Austin Love and Chris Joyner is awarded the win, his first for the year at 1-0. The loss for Duke drops Cooper Stinson to 2-2. 

This blowout was a great way for the Tar Heels to conclude the series against their hometown rivals. UNC will go to Pittsburgh on Friday to play the Panthers after their game on Tuesday with the Charlotte 49’ers was postponed. 

 

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