Vance Honeycutt came through again for North Carolina baseball in the College World Series.
Stepping up to the plate 0-for-4 on the day, Honeycutt drove in Jackson Van De Brake on an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the No. 4 national seed Tar Heels a 3-2 victory over No. 12 Virginia on Friday at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.
REQUIRED READING:UNC baseball vs Virginia prediction, odds for College World Series
Van De Brake led the inning off with a pinch-hit double, just the eighth hit for the Tar Heels. After he was moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt, shortstop Colby Wilkerson popped out to the catcher for the second out. Honeycutt then came to the plate and delivered his magic.
Dalton Pence picked up the win in relief, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless and hitless innings, to go along with two strikeouts. UNC took a 1-0 lead in the first inning but fell behind 2-1 in the third inning. The Tar Heels evened the game in the bottom of the seventh inning and then re-took the lead in the bottom of the ninth. Casey Cook, who batted after Honeycutt, was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a double for UNC.
Check out all the scores and highlights from Friday's walk-off victory for UNC baseball over UVA in the CWS:
REQUIRED READING:NCAA Tournament: College World Series schedule, bracket, TV info for UNC baseball
UNC baseball vs Virginia score: Tar Heels 3, Cavaliers 2
| TEAMS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Virginia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
UNC baseball vs Virginia live updates, highlights
Bottom of ninth inning: UNC 3, UVA 2
5:08 p.m.: Vance Honeycutt with the RBI single to drive in the winning run. UNC will play the winner of No. 1 Tennessee-No. 8 FSU on Sunday.
5:06 p.m.: Wilkerson fouls out to the catcher for the second out. He swung at a 3-1 pitch. Honeycutt up.
5:04 p.m.: Pitching visit on the bump with Chase Hungate.
5:02 p.m.: Maderadrops down a bunt to third base to advance Van De Brake to third base with one out.
5:00 p.m.: Jackson Van De Brake hits a 2-2 ball down the right field line and legs out a double. Runner in scoring position, zero outs. A UNC run walks it off.
Top of ninth inning: UNC 2, UVA 2
4:56 p.m.: Sauckegrounds out to second base for the third out. Just a five-pitch inning for Pence.
4:54 p.m.: O'Ferralland Anderson fly out to center field to begin the inning for the first two outs.
Bottom of eighth inning: UNC 2, UVA 2
4:52 p.m.: Stevenson flies out to left field to end the inning. The Tar Heels will have to win on a walk-off to win this one now.
4:48 p.m.: Gallahergrounds out to short for the second out.
4:46 p.m.: Donofriois retired 4-3 on a groundball to second base for the first out.
Top of eighth inning: UVA 2, UNC 2
4:42 p.m.: Pence battles back to strikeout Hanson on a strikeout looking after falling behind 3-0. Whalen flies out to center field to end the threat 1-2-3 on the next pitch.
4:41 p.m.: Godbout flies out to center field for the first out. Luke Hanson pinch hits for Becker here.
Bottom of seventh inning: UVA 2, UNC 2
4:37 p.m.: Harber grounds out to end the inning, stranding the go-ahead run at second. But the Tar Heels did tie it and knock Blanco out of the game.
4:33 p.m.: That's it for Blanco, as he comes out with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and a tie game. Hungatetakes over on the mound. He has a 3.71 ERA, 37 strikeouts and 13 walks in 51 innings this season.
4:31 p.m.: Cook with an RBI single to left field to even the game at 2-2. Didawick has the ball slip out of his hand on an awful throw to home. Cook advances to second.
4:29 p.m.: On the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Honeycutt grounds out to short for the second out of the inning. Blanco is at 92 pitches now. Have to believe this is his final inning.
4:27 p.m.: Honeycutt gets an extra life after miscommunication leads to a dropped popout on a foul ball.
4:25 p.m.: Wilkerson drops down a perfect sac bunt to move Madera to second base. Honeycutt to the plate.
4:23 p.m.: Madera sneaks a ball past Becker's glove at third base for a leadoff single.
Top of seventh inning: UVA 2, UNC 1
4:20 p.m.: Didawickstrikes out swinging on a ball in the dirt from Pence to end the threat.
4:18 p.m.: Ferrence steals second and the play is being reviewed by UNC. Looks to be safe.
4:15 p.m.: Ferrence reaches base on a hit-by pitch with two outs.
4:14 p.m.: Saucke and Ford both fly out to right field for the first two outs of the inning against Pence.
Bottom of sixth inning: UVA 2, UNC 1
4:10 p.m.: Osuna strikes out to end the frame. Osuna has struck out three times today and six times in seven at-bats against Blanco.
4:09 p.m.: The next batter, Stevenson, lines out to right field on the second pitch for the second out. Blanco is at 75 pitches.
4:08 p.m.: Gallaherlines out to left field for the first out of the inning.
4:05 p.m.: Blanco continues into the sixth inning for the Cavs. He's at 70 pitches.
Top of sixth inning: UVA 2, UNC 1
4:04 p.m.: Harber with a good fielding ball on a ball that spun back to first. He retires Anderson for the final out of the half-inning.
4:01 p.m.: That's it for Poston. Pence in to face the left-handed Anderson.
4:00 p.m.: O'Ferrall with a sac fly to center field to plate the second run of the game for the Cavs. They lead 2-1.
3:59 p.m.: Whalen goes down swinging for the first out of the inning. Still two in scoring position.
3:57 p.m.: Becker drops one over the left fielder's head and it gets to the wall for a double. Second and third, no outs.
3:56 p.m.: Godbout draws a leadoff walk to start the UVA sixth inning.
3:54 p.m.: Poston back out for his second inning of relief.
Bottom of fifth inning: UNC 1, UVA 1
3:51 p.m.: Harber draws a 3-2 walk. On the 2-2 pitch, the entire dugout thought it was a strikeout, but UVA did not get the call. Donofrio grounds out on the next pitch.
3:48 p.m.: Cook goes down swinging on a high fast ball. Two outs.
3:48 p.m.: Honeycutt pushes a bunt down the first base line and attempts to dive into first for the leadoff single, but Ford makes a great play and tag for the first out.
Top of fifth inning: UNC 1, UVA 1
3:44 p.m.: Dadawick grounds out to 1b for the third out.
3:43 p.m.: Ferrence flies out to right field on the first pitch for the second out. That reached the warning track.
3:42 p.m.: Poston falls behind 3-1 but is able to get Ford to fly out to deep center field for the first out of the inning.
3:38 p.m.: At 88 pitches, that's it for Decaro. He struck out six and walked four in 4-plus innings. Right-hander Poston taking over on the bump.
3:36 p.m.: Sauckedraws a leadoff walk on a 3-1 count to start the fifth. Ford is up with a chance for damage for the Cavs.
Bottom of fourth inning: UNC 1, UVA 1
3:32 p.m.: Wilkerson works the count full but grounds out to shortstop to end the frame.
3:29 p.m.: Madera grounds out on a fielder's choice to shortstop. Stevenson is out at second.
3:28 p.m.: Osuna strikes out swinging for the first out of the inning.
3:27 p.m.: Stevenson with a leadoff single on an 0-2 count.
Top of fourth inning: UNC 1, UVA 1
3:24 p.m.: Anderson grounds out to third base, with 3B Godbout tagging out Becker running to third to retire the side.
3:22 p.m.: O'Ferrall draws a 3-1 walk. First and second, two outs. No. 2 hole hitter at the dish.
3:20 p.m.: Whalen strikes out swinging for the second out of the inning. That's Decaro's sixth K. Nasty breaking ball in the dirt.
3:16 p.m.: Becker beats out a groundout to second base to avoid a double play, but Godbout is out at second.
3:14 p.m.: Godbout singles to left center on a 3-2 pitch. Decaro at 67 pitches in the top of the fourth inning.
Bottom of third inning: UNC 1, UVA 1
3:10 p.m.: Gallahaer flies out to center field for the third out. UNC strands two.
3:08 p.m.: Donofrio pops out to short for the second out. The infield fly rule was called on the play.
3:06 p.m.: Harber draws a walk on a 3-1 pitch. First and second for UNC.
3:04 p.m.: Cook with his second hit of the afternoon, a ground-rule double to right field.
3:02 p.m.: In his second game at-bat, Honeycutt flies out to left on the second pitch for the first out.
Top of third inning: UNC 1, UVA 1
3:00 p.m.: Didawick flies out to end the inning.
2:59 p.m.: Ferrence strikes out swinging for the first out of the inning. Fifth strikeout for Decaro.
2:56 p.m.: Ford with an RBI single. It's tied at 1.
2:55 p.m.: Saucke with a double on a ball that took a high bounce in front of the plate and got over the third baseman's glove.
2:54 p.m.: Anderson singles through the right side for a one-out single. First hit of the game for the Cavaliers.
2:52 p.m.: Back to the top of the UVA order, O'Farrall flies out right field for the first out.
Bottom of second inning: UNC 1, UVA 0
2:48 p.m.: Wilkerson flies out to right field to end the inning.
2:46 p.m.: Madera reaches on a fielder's choice to shortstop. Stevenson is out at second. Madera beats the throw at first to avoid the double play.
2:44 p.m.: Osuna strikes out on a breaking ball inside for the first out.
2:43 p.m.: Stevenson chops the inning's first pitch over the middle for a base hit. He beat the shift to get that hit.
Top of second inning: UNC 1, UVA 0
2:40 p.m.: Whalen grounds out to second for a 1-2-3 inning for Decaro. Just needed 11 pitches that inning after throwing 30 in the first.
2:38 p.m.: Becker strikes out as well as he is caught looking at a changeup. Two down.
2:37 p.m.: Godbout strikes out against Decaro chasing an offspeed pitch way outside of the zone. Decaro with three Ks already.
Bottom of first inning: UNC 1, UVA 0
2:33 p.m.: Gallaher flies out to center field to end the threat, but unlike UVA, UNC puts a run across the plate after threatening.
2:32 p.m.: Harber takes a hanging change up and lines it down the left field line for a double. Second and third, one out for Donofrio. Donofriogrounds out to second base to plate the first run of the 2024 CWS.
2:29 p.m.: Cook drops a single on a line drive in front of the center fielder for the game's first hit.
2:27 p.m.: Honeycut grounds out to shortstop for the first out of the inning.
Top of first inning: UNC 0, UVA 0
2:24 p.m.: Decaro strikes out Didawick swinging on a fastball. 30 pitches, but Decaro gets through the inning. UNC coming to bat for the first time.
2:21 p.m.: Ferrence walks. Bases loaded, two outs. Decaro is already at 23 pitches. Two walks, one hit by pitch.
2:19 p.m.: Saucke steals second, his ninth steal of the season. Two in scoring position, two outs.
2:17 p.m.: Ford did not miss the first pitch of his at-bat by much, hitting an opposite-field flyout to the warning track in right field. O'Farrell advanced to third on the sacrifice.
2:16 p.m.: Sauckedraws a walk on a 3-1 pitch. Henry Ford is up with two on, one out.
2:14 p.m. Decaro bounces back to strike out Anderson, swinging on a high fastball away.
2:12 p.m.: O'Ferrallit hit by a 1-2 pitch and the Cavs have the leadoff hitter on with zero outs.
2:11 p.m.: Decaro fires the first pitch for a strike to O'Ferrall and the 2024 CWS is off and running.
Pregame
2:03 p.m.: The winner of UVA vs. UNC will play the winner of No. 1 Tennessee and No. 8 FSU at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
1:40 p.m: Dating back to 1997, UNC is 45-43 against its ACC opponent, according to the UNC website. The Cavaliers won two out of three games during the season series in Charlottesville, Virginia. In the last 10 matchups, Virginia leads the series 7-3.
1:25 p.m.: UNC basketball sends good luck message to baseball team ahead of game:
1:15 p.m.:More information on the starting pitchers
Virginia:Evan Blanco ― 8-3 record, 92.2 innings, 95 SO, 25 BB, 94 hits, 3.69 ERA
Oregon:Jason Decaro ― 6-1 record, 85.2 innings, 72 SO, 40 BB, 70 hits, 3.89 ERA
1:01 p.m.: Starting lineups:
Virginia: 1. Griff O'Ferrall, ss; 2. Ethan Anderson, dh; 3. Casey Saucke, rf; 4. Henry Ford, 1b; 5. Jacob Ference, c; 6. Harrison Didawick, lf; 7. Henry Godbout, 2b; 8. Eric Becker, 3b; 9. Bobby Whalen, cf; Pitcher ― Evan Blanco.
North Carolina: 1. Vance Honeycutt, cf; 2. Casey Cook, lf; 3. Parks Harber, 1b; 4. Anthony Donofrio, rf; 5. Gavin Gallaher, 3b; 6. Luke Stevenson, c; 7. Alberto Osuna, dh; 8. Alex Madera, 2b; 9. Colby Wilkerson, ss; Pitcher ― Jason Decaro.
What channel is North Carolina baseball vs Virginia on today?
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN app | ESPN+ | Fubo (free trial)
North Carolina's game against Virginia in the College World Series will air live on ESPN, with streaming options available on the ESPN app or Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
WATCH:North Carolina baseball vs. Virginia in CWS live with Fubo (free trial)
North Carolina baseball vs Virginia start time
- Date: Friday, June 14
- Time: 2 p.m. ET
North Carolina-Virginia is set for 2 p.m. ET on Friday, June 14, from Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.
North Carolina baseball schedule 2024
Below is North Carolina's postseason schedule. For the Tar Heels' full 2024 schedule, click here.
Chapel Hill Regional
- Friday, May 31: UNC 11, LIU 9
- Saturday, June 1: North Carolina 6, LSU 2
- Sunday, June 2: LSU 8, North Carolina 4
- Monday, June 3: North Carolina 4, LSU 3 (10 innings)
Chapel Hill Super Regional
- Friday, June 7: North Carolina 8, West Virginia 6
- Saturday, June 8: North Carolina 2, West Virginia 1
College World Series
- Friday, June 14: North Carolina vs. Virginia
MORE:Purchase College World Series tickets with StubHub
Virginia baseball schedule 2024
Here are Virginia's last five results. For the Cavaliers' full 2024 schedule, click here.
Charlottesville Regional
- Friday, May 31: Virginia 4, Penn 2
- Saturday, June 1: Virginia 5, Mississippi State 4
- Sunday, June 2: Virginia 9, Mississippi State 2
Charlottesville Super Regional
- Saturday, June 8: Virginia 10, Kansas State 4
- Friday, June 7: Virginia 7, Kansas State 4
College World Series
- Friday, June 14: Virginia vs. North Carolina
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
