University of North Carolina Athletics
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Florida State
Tar Heels Upset #3 Florida State, 8-4
March 29, 2003 | Baseball
March 29, 2003
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. - North Carolina (19-8, 3-2 ACC) defeated Florida State (27-5, 5-3 ACC), 8-4 in front of 4,023 people on Saturday evening at Dick Howser Stadium. The Tar Heels' offense exploded for 13 hits, six of which came in the fourth inning alone. UNC starter Daniel Moore pitched five plus innings and gave up just two runs to earn his fourth victory of the season while Whitley Benson retired Stephen Drew with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to end the game and collect his second save.
The Tar Heels opened up the scoring by putting six hits and five runs on the board in the top of the fourth inning. Sean Farrell led off with his eighth double of the season and came around to score when Chris Iannetta doubled two batters later. Sammy Hewitt and Justin Webb followed with singles which gave Carolina a 2-0 lead. Mell Adams' first double of the season scored Hewitt and Greg Mangum's second single of the evening brought Webb around with UNC's fourth run. Adams scored the Tar Heels' final run of the inning when he raced home on a sacrifice fly by Chad Prosser.
The Seminoles cut into Carolina's lead with a run in their half of the fourth. An RBI groundout by Daniel Wardell brought home Aaron Cheesman who had singled to lead off the inning.
Florida State scored again in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 5-2 Carolina lead. Blake Balkcom led off the inning with his first career home run and chased Moore from the game after five plus innings of work.
In the bottom of seventh inning, the Seminoles put another run on the board. Eddy Martinez-Esteve singled for the third time in the game to lead off the inning, then Carolina reliever Matt Danford walked two of the next three batters he faced. With the bases loaded, Scott Senatore hit Balkcom with a pitch, bringing home Martinez-Esteve with Florida State's third run. But Senatore rebounded by striking out Bryan Zech and retiring Derrick Smith on a long fly ball to center field, ending the Seminoles' threat.
Carolina added three insurance runs in the top of the eighth inning. With two outs, the Seminoles' infield made consecutive errors to keep the inning alive for the Tar Heels. UNC capitalized thanks to back-to-back doubles by Mangum and Prosser which scored Webb and Adams.
The Tar Heels and Seminoles wrap up their series with the third and deciding game on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Follow all the action live from Tallahassee with TarHeelBlue.com's Gametracker.
