University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Wake Forest
Eight-Run Seventh Leads No. 3 Tar Heels Past Wake Forest
March 31, 2007 | Baseball
March 31, 2007
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - After giving up four runs in the top of the seventh, No. 3 North Carolina scored eight times in the bottom of the inning to rally for an 11-6 win over visiting Wake Forest Saturday at Boshamer Stadium. With the victory, the Tar Heels (25-4, 8-3 ACC) clinched their fifth straight series win over the Demon Deacons (14-15, 3-8 ACC) and they will go for their third sweep of WFU in the last four years at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
In the game-deciding rally, Carolina came through with four straight two-out base hits with Kyle Seager plating the tying and go-ahead runs with a pinch-hit triple down the right field line. First baseman Dustin Ackley and catcher Tim Federowicz followed with RBI base hits, and three straight walks led to the eighth and final run in the inning.
Playing in his 100th consecutive game, left fielder Reid Fronk, who was 2-for-4 with a game-high three RBI, capped the scoring for the Tar Heels with a two-run homer in the eighth. Ackley was 2-for-4 with an RBI to push his hitting streak to 21 games, matching Adam Greenberg's 2000 streak for what is believed to be the Tar Heel freshman record. Federowicz also added two hits and two runs scored to stretch his hitting streak to nine games.
Sophomore lefty Matt Cox earned his second win of the season with 1 1/3 innings of relief. He allowed one run on one hit. Right-hander Ben Hunter (3-5) took the loss for the Deacs after allowing four runs on four hits over just one-third of an inning.
UNC starter Alex White allowed only five hits over six-plus innings but matched a career high with six walks and hit a batter. The Demon Deacons had the leadoff batter on base in five of the seven innings against White, and he was charged with four runs, three of which were earned. The Greenville native struck out four.
Left-hander Garrett Bullock allowed just four hits over 6 1/3 innings but was tagged with five earned runs. Catcher Dan Rosaia was 3-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Wake at the plate.
After getting just two hits Friday, the Demon Deacons had three hits and a 1-0 lead after two innings. Right fielder Evan Ocheltree singled to right to lead off the second and came around to score on an RBI single down the left field line off the bat of Rosaia for just his second hit of the year.
The Tar Heels tied the score in the third on Chad Flack's RBI single. Benji Johnson started the rally with a leadoff chopper through the left side. Garrett Gore then reached on a fielder's choice, moved to second on a Fronk groundout and scored on Flack's two-out single up the middle.
Neither starter allowed a hit over the next three innings. White walked three and hit a batter over this stretch but was able to pitch his way out of each jam until the seventh. After third baseman Tyler Smith and Rosaia singled to lead off the inning, White threw away a sac bunt attempt by Brett Linnenkohl, allowing Smith to score the go-ahead run on the error. Matt Danford then allowed a two-run double by shortstop Dustin Hood and Allan Dykstra followed with a sac fly to right to give the Deacs a 5-1 lead.
Federowicz and shortstop Josh Horton led off the seventh with the Tar Heels' first hits since the third. Drew Poulk then drew a walk and Johnson was hit by a pitch to plate the first run for Carolina. A two-strike sac fly by pinch hitter Tim Fedroff brought the Tar Heels within two and opened the floodgates for the UNC offense.
Fronk singled up the middle to cut the lead to 5-4, before Seager ripped a 2-2 pitch from Hunter down the right field line to drive in both Fronk and Johnson and give the Tar Heels their first lead of the day. Ackley and Federowicz followed with their second base hits in the game to drive in runs, and Poulk added a bases-loaded walk for the eighth and final run of the inning.
After Wake Forest came back with a run in the top of the eighth, Fronk put the game away with a two-run shot to right in the bottom of the inning.
