Bolt’s HR carries Tar Heels to ACC victory over Pittsburgh

Skye Bolt homered for the second consecutive game, helping North Carolina beat Pittsburgh 3-1 Saturday evening. Bolt’s ninth-inning blast to right field improved on a sacrifice fly he hit to the same part of the park earlier in the game to score catcher Korey Dunbar and put the Heels up 2-1.

Pittsburgh, after scoring in the second inning, wouldn’t notch another run for the rest of the game. Tar Heel pitcher J.B. Bukauskas impressed with six strikeouts in as many innings, and relievers Spencer Trayner and Trevor Kelley combined for three strikeouts against two hits and no walks in the final innings.

Duke: Senior Andrew Istler turned in his third quality start of the season and redshirt sophomore Jalen Phillips drove in three RBI to lead Duke past Georgia Tech, 6-3, in Durham.

Duke (14-4, 2-3 ACC) totaled 11 hits and 10 walks, leading wire-to-wire after scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. Phillips collected a career-high three RBI with a pair of doubles in the contest. The Duke left fielder extended his current hit streak to four games, a span in which he has batted .411 (7-for-17) with five RBI.

ECU: The visiting Pirates score four unearned runs with two outs in the top of the ninth to pick up an 11-8 win over Elon at Latham Park.

Elon (8-8) trailed 7-5 entering the bottom of the eighth before beginning a two-out rally. Joey Tomko and Chris King started the rally with back-to-back singles before Ryan Cooper drove an 0-1 pitch deep over the wall in left to put the maroon and gold in front 8-7.

N.C. Central: The team was held scoreless in dropping a MEAC doubleheader at Savannah State. The host Tigers won game one 6-0 and scored in their last at-bat to take the nightcap 1-0.

Mount Olive: Bret Rutledge continued to have the hot hand with 16 kills, three blocks and three aces as Mount Olive rebounded with a 25-18, 25-20, 25-15 victory over Charleston in non-conference in Charleston, W. Va.

Duke: The fourth-ranked Blue Devils gutted out a 10-8 ACC victory over No. 12 Louisville in a back-and-forth contest afternoon in Louisville.The Blue Devils outshot the Cardinals by a 27-23 margin and kept draw controls close to secure their ninth consecutive win to start the season.

Duke: Junior midfielder Myles Jones registered three goals and five assists to lead fourth-ranked Duke to a 15-13 victory over Georgetown in Washington, D.C. The Blue Devils outscored the Hoyas 6-3 in the final quarter to come away with the win.

Duke (7-1) trailed Georgetown (4-3) heading into the fourth quarter before Jones took over.

ECU: The Pirates stands in second place, eight strokes behind Virginia Tech after the first two rounds of the Mission Inn Spring Spectacular in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla. Junior George Kilgore is the tournament's individual leader, carding an 4-under-par 144 (69-71) on the par-72 El Campeon course.

The Pirates shot a collective 585 (297-288) while Virginia Tech shot a 577 (291-286). N.C. State and VCU are tied for third place of the 18-team tournament with a 597.

This story was originally published March 14, 2015 at 9:07 PM with the headline "Bolt’s HR carries Tar Heels to ACC victory over Pittsburgh."