CHAPEL HILL, N.C – The No. 21/24 North Carolina Tar Heels scored four two-out runs to overcome a strong performance on the mound from Coastal Carolina starter
Reid VanScoter to defeat No. 29 Coastal Carolina 4-0 on Saturday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The loss drops CCU to 7-4 on the season, while with the win UNC improved to 10-1.
The Chanticleers left nine runners on base in the contest, just one more than the Tar Heels' eight. However, the home team drove in all four runs with two outs which proved to be the difference in the contest.
VanScoter (1-1) was left with the loss, as the left-handed hurler had yet another quality start. He gave up two runs on five hits and struck out a career-high eight batters over 6.0-complete innings.
North Carolina's Max Carlson, Gage Gillian (1-0), Davis Palermo, and Caden O'Brien combined to pitch for the Tar Heels in the shutout win.
CCU senior
Nick Lucky (2-for-4) had two of the Chants' five base hits for the game, while redshirt junior
Kameron Guangorena (1-for-4), junior
Graham Brown (1-for-3, 2B, SAC), and junior
Dale Thomas (1-for-4, SB) each had one hit apiece in the loss.
For the Tar Heels offensively, Alberto Osuna (1-for-4, 2B, RBI, run) had the lone extra-base hit for the home team, while Hunter Stokely (2-for-4, RBI) and Thomas Frick (1-for-4, RBI) each had an RBI. Mac Horvath (1-for-2, BB, HBP, 2 runs, SB) reached base three times and scored a game-high two runs.
Coastal looked ready to take an early lead in the top of the first inning, as the Chanticleers loaded the bases with a walk, single, and walk. However, UNC's starter was able to dig deep and post back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the inning and leave the bases loaded.
The CCU offense would put the lead-off hitter on in the second, third, and fifth innings, yet couldn't get the clutch hit to score the base runner as the Tar Heels kept the Chants' offense off the scoreboard.
Like the Chants, North Carolina left the bases loaded in the bottom of the second, as VanScoter struck out back-to-back hitters and then got a ground ball to
Matt McDermott at second base to end the inning to keep the game at 0-0 heading into the third inning of play.
After a 1-2-3 third by VanScoter, he ran into a little trouble again in the fourth, as the Tar Heels got a two-out single from Horvath who then came around to score on a double into the left-field corner off the bat of Osuna to break the scoreless tie.
UNC kept the inning alive with a single by Stokely to score Osuna from second and put the home team in white on top 2-0 through four innings.
The Chants put a running in scoring position in the seventh on a one-out double by
Graham Brown, yet left him at second to keep the score at 2-0 heading into the seventh-inning stretch.
North Carolina extended its lead to 3-0 with another two-out RBI-base hit in the bottom of the seventh to put more pressure on the Chanticleers for the final two innings.
Again, the Chants put a runner on base in the eighth, as Lucky and Guangorena each recorded a single in the inning yet saw a hard-hit ground ball to the third baseman which allowed the Tar Heels to get the force out on the lead runner and get out of the inning unscathed.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Tar Heels added another insurance, again on a two-out RBI-base hit to take a 4-0 lead into the ninth where it would stand.
Coastal (7-4) and No. 21/24 North Carolina (10-1) will conclude the three-game weekend series tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET.
For complete coverage of CCU baseball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalBaseball (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUsports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.
