Chapel Hill – No. 8 North Carolina picked up their first ACC series win of the season after beating Miami by a score of 8-5 on Sunday. Freshman Aaron Sabato and junior Dylan Harris led the way offensively for the Heels. Sabato went 3-4 with two home runs and four RBI while Harris was a triple away from the cycle after going 3-5 with two runs scored.
KEY MOMENTS
Miami wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard Sunday morning as they blasted a three-run home run in the first inning for the 3-0 lead.
UNC answered immediately with four runs in the bottom of the first to take the 4-3 lead.
Dylan Harris and Michael Busch started the game with back-to-back doubles to give the Heels a 1-0 lead. Caleb Roberts bought home Busch with a fielder choice before Aaron Sabato blasted a two-run home run for the 4-3 advantage.
Harris delivered again in the second inning with a solo home run to give the Heels a 5-3 lead.
Sabato wasn’t to be outdone as he launched his second home-run of the day in the third inning with another two-run home run to give UNC the 7-3 lead.
Miami responded with two unanswered runs, one each in the sixth and eighth inning, to make it 7-5 for the Heels.
NOTABLES
Aaron Sabato became the first Tar Heel to hit home runs in consecutive at bats since Michael Busch did so against Florida State on March 23, 2018. That was also the last time a Tar Heel hit two home runs in one game.
Sabato is the first Tar Heel freshman to hit two home runs in a game since Seth Baldwin accomplished the feat 10 years ago today, tallying two in a 17-0 win over Princeton.
Sabato collected his first four RBI game in his college career.
UNC hit 3 home runs against Miami on Sunday, the most the Tar Heels have hit in one game this season.
Dylan Harris extended his career-best, and team best, reached base streak to 17 games while Danny Serretti extended his to 12 games, a career best.
Carolina has now won the last 3 series against Miami. The last series they dropped to the Hurricanes was in 2016 in Miami.
The last time the Heels started 2-4 in ACC play was in 2010.
Harris, Busch and Sabato all had multi-hit games for the Tar Heels.
Harris collected his first three hit game of his Tar Heel career.
The Tar Heels are on the road for 3 of the next 4 ACC weekends with trips to Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame.
PITCHER RECORDS
Win: North Carolina, Austin Bergner (2-0)
Loss: Miami, Brian Van Belle (3-2)
Save: North Carolina, Austin Love (2)
UP NEXT
UNC will travel to Liberty on Tuesday, March 19 to play a midweek game at 3:30 p.m. before heading to Virginia Tech over the weekend for a three-game series against the Hokies.