CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Interstat) — The Virginia Cavaliers delivered a commanding statement to open a pivotal Atlantic Coast Conference series, dismantling the North Carolina Tar Heels 13-3 on Friday evening at Boshamer Stadium.

In a matchup of teams with identical 12-2 records entering the night, the Cavaliers dominated in every phase, racking up 13 hits while holding the potent Tar Heels lineup to just five. The victory improved Virginia to 13-2 overall and 1-0 in the ACC, while North Carolina fell to 12-3, 0-1.

The most important part of the game was Virginia’s immediate and sustained offensive assault, which capitalized on North Carolina’s early mistakes and never relented. The tone was set in a messy first inning where Virginia’s Eric Becker was hit by a pitch, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly without the benefit of a hit. This small-ball approach quickly gave way to a power display, as the Cavaliers broke the game open with a five-run third inning, fueled by a two-run single from Becker, and a four-run fourth inning highlighted by a two-run homer from Zach Jackson.

Virginia starter Henry Zatkowski earned the win, navigating 5 1/3 innings. He allowed three earned runs on five hits, striking out three. While not his most dominant outing, following a performance where he allowed just one hit over six innings against VCU, Zatkowski effectively managed a dangerous lineup. The Cavaliers’ bullpen was flawless, with Lucas Hartman providing 1 2/3 perfect innings of relief to seal the win.

North Carolina’s pitching staff struggled with command throughout the night, issuing seven walks and hitting three batters while uncorking four wild pitches. Starter DeCaro took the loss, unable to escape the third inning. Relievers Padgett, Percival and Holiday all surrendered runs. Only Jacob Cackovic, who recorded the final out in the seventh, and Talan Holiday, who pitched 1 2/3 innings, provided any sustained resistance from the Tar Heels bullpen.

Virginia’s offense was a collective effort. Shortstop Eric Becker went 3 for 4 with a double and two RBIs. Third baseman Noah Murray was 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs. Harrison Didawick provided a key two-run homer in the sixth inning, and Jackson added his two-run shot in the fourth.

North Carolina’s scoring was confined to the middle innings. They pushed across a run in the fourth on an RBI single from Hynek, and added two more in the sixth on consecutive run-scoring singles from Macon Winslow and Owen Hull, who finished 2 for 3. That rally prompted Zatkowski’s exit, but Hartman entered and induced an inning-ending double play to stifle any momentum.

The lopsided result defied pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had predicted a narrow 8-7 Virginia victory, while its ELO system gave North Carolina a 59.9% probability to win.

The two teams will continue the series Saturday and Sunday at Boshamer Stadium. Virginia’s next 10 games are all against in-state opponents, including a conference series with Virginia Tech next weekend. North Carolina will host the second game Saturday before a Tuesday matchup with Bucknell and a subsequent West Coast trip to California.