North Carolina secures winners bracket control with dominant regional opener
Ryan Lynch’s seven scoreless innings and career-high pitch count conserve the staff for Saturday’s matchup against East Carolina.
North Carolina baseball advanced to control the winners bracket at the Chapel Hill Regional after defeating Virginia Commonwealth University 8-0 in the opening game. The victory for the No. 5 national seed was anchored by a pivotal pitching performance from Ryan Lynch, who threw seven scoreless innings to secure the win against the Rams.
Head coach Scott Forbes made a strategic decision to start Lynch, a regular Saturday starter, over ace Jason DeCaro. The move proved effective as Lynch delivered a career-high 108 pitches, striking out five batters and allowing only two hits. He concluded his outing by striking out VCU second baseman Alec Warden on a 96 mph fastball.
The performance marked a significant turnaround for Lynch, who had struggled in his previous two outings against Pitt and NC State. In those games, he failed to reach the fifth inning, allowing nine runs on 17 hits across 7.1 combined innings. Lynch described his ACC Tournament semifinal start against Pitt as inefficient and spent the days leading into the regional working on his delivery to improve his efficiency.
Forbes praised the pitcher’s execution, noting that the stuff was effective and the performance was efficient. Lynch acknowledged the team’s recent struggles with length, stating that previous outings had not put the team in the best position to win. He emphasized his focus on working on his delivery to give his team a better chance in the tournament.
The win conserves North Carolina’s pitching staff for Saturday’s winners-bracket matchup against East Carolina. The Pirates advanced after a grueling 14-inning victory over Tennessee, which required six pitchers, including ace Ethan Norby. Forbes noted that conserving the staff is crucial, ensuring the Tar Heels have nearly their entire rotation available for the next round.
North Carolina’s rotation had faced challenges in recent weeks, with starters combining for only nine innings over three games in Charlotte prior to the regional. Lynch’s ability to work deep into the game provided the stability the team needed. His first inning featured 16 fastballs, touching 99 mph, as he struck out two batters to set the tone for the game.
