The No. 8 Virginia baseball team (13-3, 1-2 ACC) dropped its first ACC series of its season to No. 10 North Carolina (12-4, 2-1 ACC), taking only one of three games in Chapel Hill, N.C. over the weekend.
Virginia came into the series against North Carolina with hot bats after routing George Washington 7-1 last Tuesday. However, the Tar Heel pitchers figured out how to slow the potent Cavalier offense — something none of Virginia’s opponents had solved before the weekend. North Carolina outscored Virginia 22-8 in the series, holding the Cavaliers to four runs or under in each game.
In the first matchup on Friday, sophomore infielder Andy Weber helped the Cavaliers score first with his first collegiate home run — a solo shot in the top of the third inning. The Tar Heel bats came alive in the bottom half of the inning as they scored four runs, capped off by a three-run homer by junior infielder Zack Gahagan. North Carolina plated five more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a commanding 9-1 lead and drive Virginia starter Daniel Lynch out of the game. Virginia would get three runs back in the bottom of the ninth but could not mount a comeback, falling 9-4. Weber led the Cavaliers with three RBIs on two hits.
The Cavaliers and Tar Heels played a doubleheader on Saturday and split the twin-bill. Junior outfielder and pitcher Adam Haseley shined for Virginia in the first game both on the mound and at the plate. In the match, he opened the scoring with a solo homer in the first inning and pitched eight innings of one-run ball, striking out four Tar Heels. The teams went into the ninth inning tied amidst a pitchers’ duel, but sophomore infileder Nate Eikhoff broke the stalemate with an RBI single to put Virginia in front. Junior reliever Tommy Doyle closed out the game for Virginia, earning his third save of the season in the 2-1 victory. Haseley finished the game 3-4.
Game three of the series was the nightcap of the doubleheader and it was all North Carolina from the start. After scoring in the second inning, the Tar Heels broke the game open with an eight-run third inning in which 12 batters got to the plate. North Carolina plated three more runs by the end of the sixth inning to take a 12-2 lead and never looked back. Virginia mustered nine hits against Tar Heels pitchers but couldn’t capitalize on most opportunities, leaving 12 runners on base.
Virginia will look to bounce back from a tough weekend when Monmouth comes to Davenport Field Monday. The Cavaliers then travel to South Carolina to face No. 11 Clemson in its second ACC series.
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