North Carolina at North Carolina State
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RALEIGH, N.C. (Interstat) — North Carolina faces North Carolina State on Friday at Doak Field in the second game of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. The weather forecast calls for 66 degrees and cloudy skies.
The Tar Heels (42-9-1) enter with a 9-4 victory over the Wolfpack on Thursday in the series opener, marking their fourth straight win. North Carolina has won 10 of its last 11 games overall.
Right-hander Jason DeCaro is scheduled to start for North Carolina. DeCaro is 5-0 in his last five starts, including a win Thursday in relief against the Wolfpack, when he allowed two earned runs on zero hits with eight strikeouts over five innings. In his previous outing May 8 against Pittsburgh, DeCaro threw five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. He has not allowed a run in four of his last five appearances.
North Carolina State (31-20) looks to rebound after dropping the series opener. The Wolfpack have lost four of their last six games.
Third baseman Sherman Johnson leads the Wolfpack offense. Johnson homered and drove in three runs Thursday against the Tar Heels. Over his last 10 games, Johnson has four home runs and 18 RBIs. He went 3 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs in a May 8 loss at Stanford.
The Tar Heels have won five of the last six meetings between the teams. North Carolina outscored the Wolfpack 9-4 on Thursday behind a home run and two RBIs from center fielder Owen Hull.
Interstat’s game simulator projects an 8-5 North Carolina victory. The ELO system gives the Tar Heels a 62.9% probability to win.
The teams conclude the series Saturday at Doak Field.