CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The No. 7 nationally-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels exploded for six home runs to lead from the first at-bat to finish in a 12-2 win over the No. 12-seeded Pitt Panthers in game two on Thursday at the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Championship at Truist Field in Charlotte, North Carolina.
North Carolina’s offensive surge was led by the top of the order in Anthony Donofrio and Casey Cook. Donofrio was 3-for-3 with two home runs, three walks, five RBI and three runs scored, while Cook was 2-for-4 with two home runs, a walk, three RBI and two runs scored. First baseman Parks Harber and designated hitter Alberto Osuna also homered in the win.
The Panthers had seven base hits for the game, two of which were extra-base hits in a home run by C.J. Funk and a double off the bat of Dom Popa. Funk and second baseman Tyler Bischke drove in one RBI each.
Tar Heel starting pitcher Jason DeCaro (5-1) took full advantage of the high-powered offense, as the right-hander was big on the mound in picking up a quality start in the win. DeCaro held Pitt to two runs on five hits, one walk and six strikeouts over 7.0 innings.
Kyle Percival and Connor Bovair each fired one scoreless inning out of the bullpen to help seal the win.
North Carolina joined the championship with a bang, as the top-seeded Tar Heels opened up their first game at the tournament with back-to-back-to-back home runs from Donofrio, Cook and Harber to start the contest and then added another solo shot two batters later from Osuna to run out to a 4-0 lead after one at-bat.
After the pitching settled in over the next two and a half innings for both sides, the Tar Heels added to their lead with an RBI single from Donofrio in the top of the fourth frame to put the score at 5-0.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Panthers got on the scoreboard with a solo home run from Funk and an RBI double by Bischke to trim the North Carolina lead to three at 5-2 heading into the fifth inning of play.
The Tar Heels’ pitching staff did the rest, as DeCaro and Percival allowed just two Pitt base runners combined over the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings to keep the Panthers at bay.
The offense added three more runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by a two-run home to right field by Cook, his second of the game, and four runs in the ninth powered off a three-run blast by Donofrio, his second long ball of the game, to push the lead to double digits at 12-2.
North Carolina (42-12) will take on Wake Forest (37-19) on Friday, May 24, at 7 p.m. on ACC Network with a semifinal spot on the line.
