The UNC and University of Virginia baseball teams entered the ninth inning of yesterday’s College World Series opener deadlocked at two.
Dalton Pence, North Carolina’s star closer, mowed through Cavalier batters in the top half of the inning. This would set the stage, once again, for a potential dramatic walk-off.
Facing a 2-1 count with 2 outs, Diamond Heels star center fielder Vance Honeycutt did what he’s done so many time this year already – deliver a clutch hit. Honeycutt lined a hard single into left field, just past the outstretched glove of UVA shortstop Griff O’Ferrall, delivering UNC a 3-2 victory that kept it in the CWS winners’ bracket.
While Honeycutt’s heroics can be seen on virtually any media platform, it’s the lead-off double from North Carolina captain/pinch-hitter Jackson Van De Brake, that set the stage for more ninth-inning heroics.
Van De Brake’s teammates can be seen hyping him up in postgame interviews – just watch what starting left fielder Casey Cook and read what starting third baseman Gavin Gallaher said.
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“He’s a great teammate,” Cook said in postgame interviews. “He’s all we can ask for. He’s there for us. He’s cheering us on when we’re out there playing, so it makes us extremely happy to see him come through. You don’t want it for anyone else other than Jackson. He’s out captain and we love it for him. We have full confidence in him, so that’s great to see out of him.”
You can watch Cook speak by scrolling over to the second slide. There’s also a quote from Gallaher on the fourth slide.
With designated hitter Roberto Osuna striking out three times in Game 1, coupled with Van De Brake’s heroics, you have to wonder if Van De Brake gets the start for Sunday’s Game 2.
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