Rhode Island Lineup
Sherburne (RF), Caputo (SS), Taveras (DH), Corin (1B), O'Neil (3B), DeRegis (LF), Hess (2B), Powell (CF), Livingston (C), Moyers (P) 

North Carolina Lineup
Lassiter (LF), Myers (SS), Bolt (CF), Ramirez (RF), Chacon (C), Raburn (2B), Warmoth (3B), Gahagan (1B), Pate (DH), Moss (P)

How it Happened
No. 11 North Carolina (5-2) scored three runs in the bottom of the second - on two hits and a walk - and never looked back. Rhode Island managed to put a runner on in each of the next three frames, but was unable to advance anyone beyond second base. 

The Tar Heels then used a one-out single, followed by a walk, a stolen base and a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth.

Rhody finally got on the board in the top of the eighth, pushing across three runs - all of which were charged to reliever Chris McCue. Derek Gardella got the rally started, reaching on a leadoff error by UNC third baseman Logan Warmoth. Mike Sherburne was then hit by a pitch to put two runners on and set up Martin Taveras' RBI single to right center. Mike Corin was then issued a four-pitch walk, which included a wild pitch that allowed Sherburne to score and Taveras to advance to third base. Matt O'Neil followed with a sac-fly that drove in Taveras to make it a 4-3 game. Corin would eventually move to third on a pair of wild pitches before Nick DeRegis lined out to second to end the threat.

The Rams had their chances again in the top of the ninth with Chris Hess ripping a leadoff single up the middle to put the tying run on first. However, pinch-hitter TJ Lynch popped a 3-2 pitch to short with Hess already on the move, giving the Heels an easy double play. Gardella then reached by way of walk, but a Mike Sherburne groundout ended the game with UNC on top 4-3.

Inside the Box Score

• URI and UNC both finished with eight hits on the afternoon.
• The game was Rhode Island's first error-free contest of the season.
• Senior Nick DeRegis and redshirt freshman Chris Hess were the only players - from either team - to record multiple hits in the game. Both went 2-for-4.
• Senior Mike Sherburne and sophomore Martin Taveras each had a hit and a run scored. Taveras also recorded an RBI, as did redshirt sophomore Matt O'Neil.
• Freshman Jordan Powell was 1-for-3 with a stolen base and three putouts in centerfield.
• Senior Tim Caputo went 1-for-4 with four assists and five putouts at shortstop. With 487 career assists, Caputo currently ranks fourth all-time at URI and is just 13 away from becoming just the third player in program history to reach 500.
• Steve Moyers was charged with the loss, allowing four runs (all earned) on six hits and five walks over 5.1 innings of work. He threw 94 pitches and registered three strikeouts, marking the first time in over a year that he exits a game with more walks than strikeouts.
• Freshman Dom Grillo (0.2) junior Brad Applin (1.0) and freshman Dan Jacobson (1.0) closed out the game with 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, combining for just two hits and one walk while fanning a pair.
• UNC starter Benton Moss picked up the win, striking out 10 over seven shutout innings. He allowed six hits and walked none. All three Rhody runs were charred to the Tar Heels' bullpen.
• North Carolina entered the weekend ranked 11th or better in each of the six national polls (#11 D1Baseball.com, #14 NCBWA, #15 Perfect Game, #15 USA Today, #19 Baseball America, #21 Collegiate Baseball).

What's Next
The Rams and Tar Heels remain at Sparrow Stadium for Game 2 of the Friday doubleheader, set to begin around 3 p.m.