With how much power flows throughout the UNC and LSU baseball programs, it was surprising to see Saturday’s Chapel Hill Regional matchup scoreless through four-and-a-half innings.
Both the Diamond Heels and defending national champion Tigers had their chances, but Shea Sprague and Luke Holman were locked in a pitcher’s duel. Every time it appeared either UNC or LSU scored, Sprague or Holman recorded quick outs or the defense behind them made amazing plays.
Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina’s do-it-all center fielder who recently won his second consecutive ACC Defensive Player of the Year award, leads UNC in stolen bases and home runs, broke the scoreless tie in dramatic fashion.
On his first pitch from Holman in the fifth inning, Honeycutt sent a no-doubt home run – over the left-field fence and well over the outfield netting – for a 3-0 Diamond Heels lead.
Not only did Honeycutt’s blast break a scoreless tie, but it was his 60th career home run, putting him in an exclusive ACC club with Anthony Maisano, Pat Clougherty, current Wake Forest junior Nick Kurtz and former World Series champion J.D. Drew.
Over the netting for career home run 6⃣0⃣ and the lead! pic.twitter.com/EtEGIQSq6o
— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) June 1, 2024
These weren’t the only offensive fireworks for Honeycutt, who gave UNC some much-needed breathing room with his second home run in the seventh. LSU closed its deficit to 3-2 in the top half of the seventh, then Honeycutt smoked a 2-strike, hanging off-speed pitch over the left field fence and extended North Carolina’s slim advantage to 4-2.
Twice as nice! pic.twitter.com/72Rtns7kVo
— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) June 2, 2024
The Diamond Heels will try and advance to a Super Regional later today, when they host the winner of Wofford-LSU at 6 p.m. ET.
Will we see more Honeycutt fireworks tonight?
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