University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Wake Forest
Woodard's Gem Downs Deacons, 3-1
March 30, 2007 | Baseball
March 30, 2007
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Right-hander Robert Woodard tossed 7 1/3 innings of two-hit ball, and first baseman Dustin Ackley hit a two-run, first-inning home run to pilot No. 3 North Carolina past Wake Forest, 3-1, Friday in the series opener at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels move to 24-4 and 7-3 in the ACC with the win, while the Demon Deacons drop to 14-14 and 3-7 in the league.
Woodard (6-0) stuck out six and walked three on the night. The Charlotte native held the Demon Deacons without a hit after the fourth, walked two in the fifth and then set down eight straight until hitting the final batter he faced in the eighth. With the win, Woodard improves to 29-3 in his career and can match Michael Hoog's school record of 30 victories next weekend against Boston College. He has won 11 straight decisions.
Reliever Rob Wooten came on to induce an inning-ending double play in the eighth, and closer Andrew Carignan struck out the side in the ninth to nail down the win and claim his seventh save on the season. The combined two-hitter was the first for the Tar Heels in league action since a win over Boston College May 18, 2006.
Woodard and Carignan continued their climb up the ACC's career record charts, as Carignan is now tied for eighth with 22 career saves, and Woodard is tied for 19th with his 29 victories.
Wake Forest starter Brad Kledzik (2-2) went 6 1/3 innings and surrendered three runs on seven hits. He did not walk a batter, fanned three and took the loss.
With his first-inning homer, Ackley extended his hitting streak in his first at-bat for the fifth straight game. He has now hit safely in 20 straight for the longest streak by a Tar Heel since 2004. Second baseman Garrett Gore and catcher Tim Federowicz each had two hits to push their hitting streaks to 10 and eight games, respectively, and center fielder Seth Williams added two hits for his third straight multi-hit effort.
Ackley put the Tar Heels in front early thanks to his fourth home run of the season and his third in ACC play. After right fielder Tim Fedroff singled through the right side to lead off the inning, Ackley roped a 1-0 pitch from Kledzik out to right center for his ACC-best 38th and 39th RBI and a 2-0 UNC lead.
After Demon Deacon designated hitter Michael Murray cut the lead in the half in the fourth with a solo homer to right, neither team managed much offense over the next three innings. Carolina left two on in the fifth and sixth, with Wake Forest dodging a pair of fielding errors in the sixth.
The Tar Heels finally added an insurance run in the seventh when Williams led off with a double down the left field line and scored on a two-out single up the middle by shortstop Josh Horton.
Woodard then got one out in the eighth and hit Wake Forest slugger Alan Dykstra before Wooten and Carignan came on to close out the win.
Carolina and Wake Forest conclude their three-game series at 1 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
