UNC Downs Campbell With Late Rally

Chapel Hill, NC — North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team (23-14, 8-10 ACC) snaps Campbell Camel’s (22-13, 11-1 Big South) 12-game winning streak after rallying in the sixth inning. 

Campbell has been red-hot since March 17th but was no match for the Tar Heels tonight. 

Tonight is the first time these teams have faced each other this season, and Carolina has bragging rights. 

The Carolina pitchers who played showed up tonight. They threw 114 strikes and struck out 13 Campbell batters. 

Shawn Rapp was the starting pitcher for the Tar Heels. Rapp pitched for two innings, threw three strikeouts, and allowed one run. He threw three strikeouts to cap off his start. 

Nik Pry also had three strikeouts in one and a half innings pitched. Pry only allowed one run and threw 21 strikes. 

Connor Bovair was on fire tonight, allowing zero runs and throwing 18 strikes. He threw two strikeouts, as well. 

Carolina had it going early, scoring two runs in the first inning. 

Hunter Stokely’s single to right field allowed Alberto Osuna and Mac Horvath to score two runs. 

After a drought in innings 2-5, Carolina managed another scoring run in the fifth. 

Osuna’s single to left field allowed Mac Horvath to score his second run of the day. 

The sixth inning was the story for the Tar Heels tonight. They scored three runs this inning. 

After a single to the right side by Angel Zarate, Mikey Madej and Hunter Stokely scored one run each. 

Vance Honeycutt scored the third run in the sixth after Horvath’s reach on a fielder’s choice, which resulted in Zarate getting tagged out. 

Danny Serrerti scored the final run for the Tar Heels tonight after a hit from Johnny Castagnozzi, resulting in an advance to third base by Osuna. 

Offensively, for the Tar Heels, Hunter Stokely and Alberto Osuna led the show. 

Stokely was 2-4 with two balls and two RBIs. 

Osuna was more efficient, hitting 2-3 at-bats. He had two balls and an RBI. 

The Fighting Camel’s offensive star tonight was Lawson Harrill. Harrill was 1-3 with two balls and an RBI. 

Davis Palermo, the Chapel Hill native, was the story tonight. He threw a game-high five strikeouts to keep the Camels at bay late in the game. He has two saves this season. 

Carolina’s bounce-back win tonight boosts its momentum heading into its three-game series against the Virginia Cavaliers (27-9, 10-8 ACC). The Cavaliers are 19-2 at home this season. 

Carolina has to be hit on all cylinders in order to knock off the number three seed in the Coastal division. 

Game one of the series will be Friday, April 22nd in Charlottesville, VA.