The University of North Carolina’s baseball team secured a 10-4 win over Virginia Tech in the ACC Quarterfinals, a game that kept the Tar Heels alive in the tournament and sent them to the semifinals.
A Tight Contest in Charlotte
Jake Schaffner was the offensive engine, driving in four runs with a double and a triple, while Owen Hull added three RBIs to bolster the lineup.
Starter Jason DeCaro struggled early, surrendering six hits and three earned runs before being pulled, prompting a relief appearance by freshman Caden Glauber, the ACC Freshman of the Year.
Virginia Tech struck first with back-to-back home runs in the top of the third, but cooler temperatures limited the number of potential long balls, keeping the contest tightly contested.
The turning point came in the bottom of the fourth when UNC seized the lead, and the momentum shifted again in the eighth inning as Schaffner delivered a multi-base hit that brought in Colin Hynek.
Owen Hull followed with a single that scored two more runs, and Macon Winslow’s shot to straightaway center capped a four-run burst that put the Tar Heels up by six.
Virginia Tech managed a solitary home run later, but relief pitcher Glauber shut down any rally by retiring the next three batters, and the Tar Heels added a run in the sixth before sealing the game.
The 10-4 final score left the Hokies unable to mount a comeback in the ninth, and UNC will now await the winner of the Florida State versus Pitt Panthers matchup, scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday in Charlotte, where rain could cause delays.