North Carolina Falls to NC State in 8-5 Heartbreaker

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina lost to NC State 8-5 on Friday night at Boshamer Stadium, despite a late-game comeback effort.

Wolfpack pitcher Dominic Fritton dominated the Tar Heels through the first six innings, keeping them scoreless. NC State took an early 1-0 lead in the first and extended it to 4-0 by the fifth inning.

The Tar Heels finally found their rhythm in the seventh, when Jackson Van De Brake hit a two-run homer, followed by Luke Stevenson’s solo shot. This narrowed NC State’s lead to 4-3.

In the eighth, the Tar Heels tied the game at 5-5 thanks to a pop-up that NC State’s Josh Hogue lost in the outfield, allowing Sam Angelo to reach second base. Carter French then followed with a hit to score Angelo.

In the ninth inning, however, NC State surged ahead with three more runs after UNC’s relief pitching faltered, sealing the victory for the Wolfpack.

North Carolina started pitcher Aidan Haugh struggled, allowing four runs and seven hits in four innings. Coach Scott Forbes noted that Haugh’s fastball reached 96 mph but emphasized the need for better control and improved use of his changeup.

The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Tar Heels, bringing their record to 37-11 overall and 16-10 in the ACC. NC State now leads the three-game series ahead of Sunday’s rubber match, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. UNC’s Jason DeCaro will start, while NC State has yet to name their pitcher.