CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina – With their bats under control for most of Friday night, the Virginia Tech baseball team had a short run during the first game of their series at No. 15 North Carolina as the Hokies were defeated, 8 -1, at Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium.


Junior third baseman Carson DeMartini broke the Tar Heels’ shutout during the top of the ninth inning with a historic swing: his 18th home run of the season and 43rd of his three-year college career. Rounding the bases, DeMartini set the Hokies’ ACC-era home run record, surpassing Andrew Rash, who hit 42 home runs from 2010-13.


Virginia Tech (26-13, 12-10 ACC) was held to four hits by freshman right-hander Jason DeCaro, who went seven scoreless innings for North Carolina (31-10, 16-6 ACC). DeCaro retired 11 consecutive batters to start the game before allowing a two-out single. Chris Cannizzaro during the fourth inning, finishing with eight strikeouts in 105 pitches.


Anthony Donofrio greeted Tech’s starter Jeremy Neff with a leadoff triple during the bottom of the first inning, which came at the expense of an awkward slide by Cannizzaro in left field. Vance Honeycutt brought in Donofrio with a foul fly down the right field line, putting the hosts in front for the first time.


Neff fell further behind during the bottom of the third inning when he allowed a three-run homer to Parks Harber that extended the Tar Heels’ lead to 4-0. UNC scored two more runs during the bottom of the fourth inning, both off Neff, one of them on Alex Madera’s RBI triple to left field.


Right reliever grant manning led the Hokies to the finish line, pitching Tech’s final five defensive innings. Manning set a season high with eight strikeouts, allowing two runs (one earned) and dishing out five hits.


Virginia Tech committed a season-high four errors, including two during the fifth inning that resulted in an unearned run. Manning limited the damage after UNC loaded the bases, striking out Colby Wilkerson and Donofrio consecutively to keep the game at 7-0.



UNTIL NEXT TIME
Virginia Tech will play to even the series at 15th-ranked North Carolina on Saturday, April 27. First pitch between the Hokies and Tar Heels at Boshamer Stadium’s Bryson Field is scheduled for 2 p.m.