RALEIGH, N.C. (Interstat) — Jason DeCaro pitched five shutout innings and North Carolina defeated North Carolina State 9-4 on Thursday at Doak Field. DeCaro struck out eight, allowed no hits and two earned runs for the Tar Heels (42-9-1). He improved to 3-0 in his last three starts.

North Carolina scored five runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by Owen Hull’s two-run homer and a solo shot from Luke Howe. Jake Schaffner drove in two runs. Walker McDuffie added two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

The Wolfpack (31-20) answered in the sixth on Sherman Johnson’s three-run homer, his eighth of the season, cutting the deficit to 9-3. Johnson later added an RBI single. Heath Andrews struck out 10 but allowed five earned runs in six innings for NC State.

North Carolina and North Carolina State meet again Friday in the second game of the series.