Courtesy UVA Media Relations
The Virginia baseball team split a pair of games on Saturday with No. 8 North Carolina at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill.
Virginia took game one by a score of 9-2 before falling 8-7 in 12 innings during the nightcap.
With the series win, Virginia (13-3, 2-1 ACC) has won back-to-back series at North Carolina dating back to the 2023 season. In each series, the Tar Heels were ranked in the top 10.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1
After a pitcher’s duel in the first two innings, Sam Harris broke the seal in the third when the junior launched a two-run blast to left field. Harris’ fourth of the year put the Cavaliers up 2-0 after three.
The two-run UVA lead held until the fifth inning when the Cavaliers exploded for four more runs, which was capped off by a two-run infield single by Zach Jackson that made it a 6-0 contest.
With a six-run lead, Stammel cruised to his first quality start of the season by surrendering one run on three hits in six innings with four strikeouts.
Virginia’s relentless offense added two more runs in the sixth when Joe Tiroly snuck a ground ball past the Tar Heel third baseman that allowed Eric Becker and AJ Gracia to scamper home.
If you want even more award-winning coverage on the UVA athletics department, including its nationally-ranked football and basketball programs, be sure to subscribe to “Cavalier Exclusive” to follow all of Virginia Sports Hall Of Famer Jerry “Hootie” Ratcliffe’s analysis and content. It’s the best in the business for Wahoo Fans!
Jackson added some insurance an inning later with a solo no-doubt home run to right. The dinger was Jackson’s second of the series and extended the UVA lead to 9-1.
In relief, Lucas Hartman allowed a solo home run to the first Tar Heel he faced before retiring the final nine North Carolina batters he faced to secure the 9-2 Virginia victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2
North Carolina (13-3-1, 1-2) took its first lead of the weekend with a one-out solo home run off the bat of Gavin Gallaher. Following the solo shot, Paone retired 11 of the next 12 batters he faced.
Virginia answered immediately in the top of the second with a three-run frame that was highlighted by a two-run Becker single down the line in left.
Murray made it a 4-1 contest an inning later when the junior crushed a ball to left center for his fourth home run of the 2026 campaign.
The visiting half of the fourth opened with Kyle Johnson doubling down the line in left before ending up on third thanks to a Tar Heel fielding error. Johnson came home to score a few pitches later on a Becker sacrifice fly.
North Carolina stormed back to tie the game at 5-5 with a pair of runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings.
The tie held until the top of the ninth when Sam Harris doubled home Gracia to give UVA a brief 6-5 advantage.
The Tar Heels forced extras when UNC’s Tyler Howe hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth. North Carolina threatened later in the frame with the bases loaded, but Virginia’s Tyler Kapa extended the contest with a strikeout of Macon Winslow.
After a pair of scoreless innings, Harrison Didawick singled to open the top of the 12th and came around to score on a Noah Jouras RBI triple that the grad student catcher dropped directly on the foul line in right field.
North Carolina rallied and took the weekend finale by scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the 12th.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- With the series win, Virginia improves to 122-192-4 all-time against North Carolina.
- The series win in the ACC Opener is the first for UVA since taking two of three games from North Carolina in 2023.
- With his single in the second, AJ Gracia has each base safely in all 16 games this season.
FROM HEAD COACH CHRIS POLLARD
The skipper on the series win 🧢#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/EjHts63sqP
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) March 8, 2026
“I am just really proud of them. I said I know that you’re tired and you’re hungry. It has been a long week; we have been on the road for eight days with six road games and I just wanted them to know that I am really proud of them. Going 4-2 on the road, going back to Sunday versus VCU. I think during the eight-game road trip, they have handled it really well, they have grown up a lot.”
UP NEXT
Virginia will return to the friendly confines of Disharoon Park to open a five-game homestand on Tuesday against William & Mary. First pitch between the Tribe and Cavaliers is slated for 4 p.m. and will be carried on ACCNX and WINA (98.9 FM/1070 AM).
If you want even more award-winning coverage on the UVA athletics department, including its nationally-ranked football and basketball programs, be sure to subscribe to “Cavalier Exclusive” to follow all of Virginia Sports Hall Of Famer Jerry “Hootie” Ratcliffe’s analysis and content. It’s the best in the business for Wahoo Fans!
