UNC baseball returned to the field following an off weekend to defeat Gardner-Webb 8-1 on Tuesday. The Heels were held hitless through the first six inning but did manage to score a run in the 4th when Levi Michael was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a walk then stole third and ultimately scored on a throwing error. Bats! We don't need no stinking bats! In the seventh UNC scored seven runs on six hits to make it an 8-0 contest and secure their 34th win of the season versus 10 losses.
Since UNC had been off for six days I am going to assume that explains why he used eight pitchers in an 8-1 so they could get some actual work in. Either that or this is Mike Fox being Mike Fox and he heard Boston College used nine pitchers versus Virginia last week so he felt he needed to catch up. Probably the former since he held starter Chris Munnelly to 67 pitches in 5.1 IP and spread the rest of the game out between seven others with no one throwing more than 16 pitches. No offense to Gardner-Webb but this was, more or less, a tune-up game to shake off the rust before starting the final stretch of the regular season.
Next up, UNC will host e a Maryland team presently bottom feeding in the ACC standings. While baseball can be funky, this is a must win series, maybe even a sweep. Next week the Heels play UNC Wilmington and UNC Asheville on back to back days before heading to Atlanta for the first of two huge series versus the top two teams in the Coastal Divsion(and the ACC in general, the Coastal is loaded.)