Courtesy of Holy Cross Athletics Communications
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Holy Cross baseball team began the 2025 NCAA Baseball Tournament with a 4-0 setback to No. 1 nationally-ranked North Carolina Friday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium.
The defeat sends the Crusaders to 31-26 on the year and they await the loser of the Oklahoma/Nebraska game in an elimination game on Saturday, May 31 at noon. The Tar Heels move to 49-12 with the victory.
Seniors
Jimmy King and
Sean Scanlon set the single-season program games started record with their 57th start of the campaign.
STARTING ON THE MOUND:
- Jake Knapp (W, 13-0), 8.1 innings pitched, four hits allowed, zero earned runs, three walks, seven strikeouts.
- Junior Danny Macchiarola (L, 9-5), 4.1 innings pitched, seven hits allowed, four earned runs, two walks, one strikeout
OUT OF THE BULLPEN:
- Walker McDuffie: 0.2 innings pitched, zero hits allowed, zero earned runs, zero walks, one strikeout.
- Freshman Derek Volz: 3.2 innings pitched, zero hits allowed, zero earned runs, three walks, three strikeouts.
STEPPING TO THE PLATE:
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Junior CJ Egrie worked a leadoff walk on nine pitches. Knapp settled down and struck out the next three batters to get out of the top of the first.
- King singled just beyond third base for the first hit of a contest then was doubled off first via a line drive out in the top of the second.
- The Tar Heels dropped a three spot in the bottom of the second getting an RBI single, double, and single to grab the lead.
- UNC scored again in the fifth to add on to their edge making it 4-0.
- Jones had a leadoff free pass and Brown singled up the middle putting runners at first and second with no outs in the sixth. Egrie sacrificed them over into scoring position. A one out walk to LaFleur loaded the base, however Knapp got a fly out and strikeout to escape the frame.
- King made a heads up play in the bottom of the eighth after Gallaher stole second, but he over slid the bag and King put a second tag on him for the out.