CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Rutgers baseball dropped its midweek contest at No. 13/15 North Carolina on Tuesday night, falling by a score of 13-7. Despite an early four-run lead, the Scarlet Knights (10-5) were unable to hold off the Tar Heels (15-2) in a back-and-forth affair at Boshamer Stadium. 

Rutgers came out of the gates hot, posting four runs in the top of the first. After loading the bases with one out, Pete Durocher singled home a pair. Josh Kuroda-Grauer and Durocher then executed a double-steal of second and home to make it 3-0. Ty Doucette singled into right to score Durocher and make it 4-0. 

The Tar Heels had a quick response, scoring a trio of runs in the first on a pair of singles and a fielder's choice. RU starter Jordan Falco settled in after that and tossed scoreless second and third innings to finish off his outing. 

In the bottom of the fourth, UNC would tie the game on an RBI single before taking the lead in the fifth on another RBI single. 

Johnny Volpe led off the sixth with a single and got into scoring position on a sac bunt from Cameron Love. Trevor Cohen then singled him home with a two-out knock into left field to tie the game at 5-5. 

After tying it in the sixth, the Scarlet Knights rallied to take the lead in the seventh. Volpe delivered a clutch single into left to bring home Durocher and give RU the 6-5 lead. 

The back-and-forth contest continued in the bottom of the seventh, as the Tar Heels hung another crooked number to take the lead. With the bases loaded and one out, a sac fly tied the game at 6-6 before a two-out double into the right-center gap scored two more and made it 8-6 in favor of UNC. Five more insurance runs for the Tar Heels in the bottom of the eighth pushed it to 13-6. 

Volpe got back a run in the ninth on an RBI single to score Doucette (walk), but that would be all for the Scarlet Knight bats. 

Rutgers and North Carolina will wrap up their two-game midweek series on Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. 

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