North Carolina outfielder Vance Honeycutt began his first game in Omaha in the 2024 Men’s College World Series with an 0-for-4 mark at the plate. But he finished Friday’s opening game of the Men’s College World Series against Virginia with a 1-for-5 mark at the dish, with one single.
Men’s College World Series: Vance Honeycutt delivers again for UNC against Virginia
Vance Honeycutt and UNC walk it off against Virginia
Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
And what a single it was.
As he has done so many times before, Honeycutt delivered in the clutch for UNC. With the game knotted at 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth and the winning run 90 away from home plate — and two outs on the scoreboard — Honeycutt ripped a breaking ball into left field, plating the game-winning run and advancing UNC into the winner’s side of Bracket 1 in Omaha.
Quite the start for UNC’s Mr. Clutch:
Or as they like to call him down in Chapel Hill, Vance Honey-clutch:
For the Tar Heels, it is their third walk-off victory in this year’s Men’s College World Series, with Honeycutt now responsible for two of those. Honeycutt delivered a walk-off home run against West Virginia in Game 1 of their best-of-three series in the Super Regionals, and Alex Madera delivered a victory — and a ticket to those Super Regionals — with a single in the tenth inning against LSU back in Regionals action.
UNC now awaits the winner of tonight’s game between Tennessee and Florida State, two of the most potent lineups in all of college baseball. The Volunteers as a team posted an OPS of 1.029 this season, best for second in the nation, with the Seminoles not too far behind with a mark of .975 which placed them sixth. But the winner of that game will be facing something different in their second contest.
Mr. Honey-clutch himself.
See More:
