CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Hammering six home runs on Friday for the second time during ACC play this season, the Virginia Tech baseball team routinely circled the bases at No. 18 North Carolina, prevailing in runaway fashion, 12-1, at Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium.
Gavin Cross and Tanner Schobel hit back-to-back home runs during the first and fourth innings as Virginia Tech (16-6, 4-4 ACC) rushed out to a fast, 6-0 lead. The Hokies' six home runs on Friday marked the most Tech had recorded against UNC through all series meetings dating back to 1991, including all ACC contests since 2005.
Jack Hurley and Eduardo Malinowski followed Cross and Schobel's consecutive solo homers during the first inning with back-to-back doubles that capped the Hokies' three-run first inning. Hurley's double extended his hitting streak to 21 straight season-opening games – the second longest by a Tech player during the program's ACC tenure.
Right-hand starter Griffin Green kept North Carolina (19-7, 5-5 ACC) scoreless through five innings, scattering five hits while racking up three strikeouts and walking one. Graham Firoved helped Green out of his sixth-inning jam, retiring the Tar Heels in order to squander their two-on, none-out opportunity.
Tech padded its lead with Nick Holesa's RBI single during the fifth inning, upping its lead to 8-0 during the sixth inning in the wake of singles by Nick Biddison and Schobel.
True freshman third baseman Carson DeMartini led off the eighth inning with a solo blast to center field – his seventh home run of the season and his fourth against ACC competition. DeMartini's homer served as the Hokies' final scoring act until Malinowski delivered the game-clinching, three-run home run over the left field fence.
NOTEWORTHY
• Virginia Tech's six home runs on Friday are the most any program has hit against North Carolina since Feb. 18, 2000 (UCLA).
• The Hokies' 12 runs are the most Tech has scored against UNC since March 30, 1976 (17).
• Virginia Tech snapped North Carolina's 21-game home winning streak, dating back to the 2021 season. UNC had started the 2022 season 17-0 at home.
• The Hokies improved to 9-9 against opponents ranked in D1Baseball's top 25 since the beginning of the 2021 season.
• Virginia Tech witnessed two instances of back-to-back home runs in the same game for the first time during its ACC tenure. Gavin Cross and Tanner Schobel united to yield the Hokies' 10th and 11th occurrences of back-to-back home runs since 2005.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech will resume its weekend series at No. 18 North Carolina on Saturday, April 2. First pitch at Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium is scheduled for 2 p.m.Gallery: (4-1-2022) BSB: UNC GAME 1