Published Apr 23, 2019
Carolina Cruises Past Coastal Carolina
UNC Athletic Communications
UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL --- Andrew Grogan's 7.2 innings of one-run baseball helped lead No. 15 North Carolina to a 6-1 win over Coastal Carolina at Boshamer Stadium on Tuesday night.

Grogan worked a nearly flawless game into the eighth inning, surrendering his only run in that frame, a solo shot. He allowed just five hits, walked none and struck out five en route to his third win of the season. Ashton McGee drove in a pair of runs, while Ike Freeman scored twice.

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KEY MOMENTS

Ashton McGee got the Tar Heels on the board first in the bottom of the second inning. With two runners on and two outs, the junior poked a chopper through the left side that got through the infield, scoring Ike Freeman and giving Carolina an early 1-0 lead.

McGee extended the Carolina lead in the bottom of the fifth with his second home run of the year. The long solo shot to right-center was a no-doubter off the bat, extending the lead to 2-0.

Brandon Martorano wasted no time putting another run on the board, going back-to-back with McGee. He crushed the first pitch of his at-bat to left, his fifth of the year to make it 3-0.

Coastal Carolina's Zach Biermann put the only Chanticleer run of the night on the board when he hit a solo home run to right against Grogan in the top of the eighth, making it 5-1.

Austin Love entered in the ninth inning to toss a scoreless inning, closing out the 6-1 win for North Carolina.

NOTABLES

Michael Busch's 11-game hitting streak is the longest of his career. He now has a 15-game reached-base streak, the team's current best.

Busch's 11-game hitting streak ties him with Aaron Sabato for the longest streak on the team in 2019.

Andrew Grogan reached a career high with X innings pitched. 4.2 was his previous high on Feb. 26 against UNC-Wilmington in his second appearance as a Tar Heel.

McGee and Martorano's back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning marked the third time that Carolina has gone back-to-back this season.

Tuesday marked McGee's fifth multi-RBI game of the year.

Grogan's 7.2 innings marked the second-longest outing by a Tar Heel this season (Tyler Baum, 8.2 IP vs. Duke on 3/29).

Grogan's outing marked the longest outing for a Carolina pitcher in a mid-week game since Rodney Hutchison's complete-game shutout against North Carolina A&T last season.

PITCHERS OF RECORD

Win: Andrew Grogan (3-1)

Loss: Nick Parker (0-1)

UP NEXT

The Tar Heels will be back in action at home this weekend when Virginia comes to town for a three-game series.