Final Score: No. 13 North Carolina 14, VCU 10
Winning Pitcher: Kevin Eaise (1-1)
Losing Pitcher: Justin Walton (0-1)
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C. (Boshamer Stadium)
Records: VCU 2-6, No. 13 North Carolina 6-3
 
The Short Story: VCU Baseball scored three runs in the final two innings to valiantly battle to the end, but the No. 13 North Carolina Tar Heels had just a bit more firepower to outlast the Rams in the final matchup of a two-game set in Chapel Hill, N.C.
 
LEADING OFF: 

• Will Carlone had another stellar day at the plate, going 4-for-4 scoring two runs while knocking in three.
• Carlone's day extends his hitting streak to 18 games and the Ram designated hitter has reached base in 24 straight games.
• AJ Mathis set the table once again in the leadoff spot, going 2-for-5, and smacking his first home run of the 2023 season.
• Logan Amiss and Scottie O'Bryan both went deep in the game.
• It was the second time this season the Rams have gone deep in three times in the same game (vs. Middle Tennessee – Feb. 17).
• Jack Goleski made his first career start, going 2.1 innings while giving up four hits and four runs.
• The Rams were aggressive on the base paths, stealing three bags (Mathis; Griffin Boone; Brandon Eike).

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• The Rams opening the game by taking an early lead, thanks to an RBI single up the middle from Carlone, who began his 4-for-4 day with a bang.
• VCU shut the Tar Heels down in the first two innings, but the No. 13 team in the country got on the board in the third with three runs, taking a 3-1 lead.
• In the third Amiss stepped to the dish with a pair of Rams on, both William Bean and Carlone walked, and on the second pitch he saw Amiss got his pitch.
• Amiss smashed the 0-1 pitch to right center to put the Rams back in the lead, with the score at 4-3.
• North Carolina answered in the bottom half of the inning, scoring four runs powered by a three-run home run.
• The Rams got one back in the fourth courtesy of Mathis, who took a 1-2 pitch into right field to pull VCU within two runs and put the score at 7-5.
• North Carolina scored again in the fourth to extend their lead to 8-5.
• In the sixth, VCU show the grit that is Ram Baseball scoring a pair of runs to pull within one of the Tar Heels.
• Cooper Benzin led off the frame with a single past second and Bean followed that up with a double to left to put to Rams in scoring position to open the inning.
• Carlone then took the box and continue his scorching day at the plate, smacking a single to right that scored both Bean and Benzin and put the score at 8-7 with UNC holding a one-run lead.
• But in the bottom half of the sixth, UNC added to their lead, scoring one on a solo home run to pull back ahead by two runs.
• Over the next two innings, North Carolina would pull away from VCU. In seventh the Tar Heels added two and in the eighth the Tar Heels scored four. And despite VCU scoring one in the top half of the eighth the Tar Heels held a 14-8 lead heading into the ninth inning.
• In the ninth the Rams showed they would not go away quietly, scoring two runs thanks to O'Bryan's first home run of the season. O'Bryan, pinch hitting, took a 2-2 fastball into left field to score Boone and put VCU in double digits.
• But the comeback was a bit too late and UNC held on to win the game 14-10 and take both games in the series.

UP NEXT: VCU returns to The Diamond for a weekend of three games against three different squads. Canisius comes to the Diamond on Mar. 3 (Fri., 3 p.m.), before West Virginia (Mar. 4, 2 p.m.) and Fairfield (Mar. 5, 1 p.m.) finish up the weekend. All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+.