For those who follow the Diamond Heels, this past weekend’s matchup with East Carolina has been circled for quite some time. The three-game set with the No. 11 Pirates was an enormous test for the early days of the 2024 North Carolina baseball season. Two of the best teams in the state and the country were even through Friday and Saturday, but the rubber match on Sunday went to ECU with a walk-off single in the ninth inning.
Friday night’s series opener was a pitcher’s duel. The Tar Heels struck first in the second inning on an Alex Madera double, but the Pirates answered right back in the fifth.