DeCaro, Aggressive Heels Take Game One From Blue Devils

DURHAM, N.C. — In a game that would have Rickey Henderson grinning from ear to ear, No. 2 North Carolina took game one on Jack Coombs Field, knocking off Duke 3-1 en route to earning its 35th win of the season. 

Here’s how the Diamond Heels made it happen: 

DeCaro Deals 

With all 2,000 seats at Jack Coombs Field positioned behind home plate, the strong showing of Carolina Blue that made the short trip north on Highway 15-501 had prime seats for the Jason DeCaro show.

The Tar Heels’ ace went 7.2 innings Thursday night in Durham — one out shy of matching the season and career high he set in February against ECU — allowing three hits and two walks while striking out seven.

The only run charged to DeCaro was unearned, coming in the bottom of the eighth when Macon Winslow’s errant throw into left field on an attempt to catch Michael DeMartini stealing third allowed the Blue Devils’ center fielder to score.

DeCaro said that after feeling like he “couldn’t throw a ball beneath belly-button level” during the first three innings, it was in the fourth when he realized it was his night. After throwing first-pitch strikes to two of his first five batters, the 20-year-old painted the zone for strike one against 17 of his final 21.

DeCaro’s fastball was lively all night, still sitting at 94 miles per hour in his final inning of work, while his off-speed stuff stumped the Blue Devils throughout. A backdoor, full-count slider to Duke’s RJ Hamilton for a backward K, along with a swinging strikeout on a curveball in the dirt to Bobby Marsh — his final punchout of the evening — showcased some of DeCaro’s nastiest stuff.

After DeMartini’s two-out single in the bottom of the eighth — which prompted a mound visit from head coach Scott Forbes — DeCaro, for the first time in his career, successfully pleaded his case to remain in the game. But a single from Tyler Albright pushed DeMartini to second, giving Duke its first runner in scoring position of the night and prompting Forbes to turn to Walker McDuffie to get the final four outs.

Blue Devils Bested at Their Own Game

Headed into Thursday night, the Blue Devils led the ACC with 125 stolen bases, while the Tar Heels ranked 11th with 42 — but it sure didn’t look that way on the field.

North Carolina swiped a season-high seven bases, including four by Jake Schaffner, in the opener, going a perfect 7-for-7 while taking advantage of a Duke defense that entered the night having thrown out a dismal eight of 106 runners attempting to steal. Forbes credited his staff’s scouting of Duke starter Aidan Weaver and his team took full advantage of Weaver’s ‘slowness’ to the plate and catcher Matthew Strand’s average arm.

On the flip side, the Blue Devils had failed in their lone stolen-base attempt – Hamilton was erased after his first inning single for only the fourth time in 27 attempts – before Winslow’s eighth-inning throwing error enabled Duke to pull off the double steal. 

In six combined games against Boston College and Louisville this season — the ACC’s second- and third-best base-stealing teams — the Tar Heels allowed one stolen base on two attempts, underscoring the reluctance of even the league’s most aggressive teams to run on Carolina.

Not Pretty, But Enough

Make no mistake — Forbes won’t be using Thursday night as a hitting teach tape. And if he does, it won’t be in a positive light.

The Tar Heels went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position (.154). Carolina struck out 16 times, matching its highest total in a nine-inning game this season, as Duke right-hander Aidan Weaver fanned 11 — matching his season high after recording three combined strikeouts in his previous two outings.

Struggles aside, timely hitting proved enough to push the Diamond Heels across the finish line.

Carolina’s first — and only — extra-base hit came on Owen Hull’s two-out double in the ninth inning, and an aggressive send from Forbes allowed Gavin Gallaher to score, providing some insurance headed into the home half of the last frame.

Game two gives Carolina (35-7-1, 16-6 in the ACC) a chance to win its seventh straight series against the darker shade of blue. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Friday on Jack Coombs Field in Durham.