University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Wake Forest
No. 3 Tar Heels Blanked By Wake Forest, 6-0
April 1, 2007 | Baseball
April 1, 2007
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Wake Forest left-hander Eric Niesen held No. 3 North Carolina to just six hits over 8 1/3 shutout innings to pitch the Demon Deacons to a 6-0 victory Sunday in the series finale at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels (25-5, 8-4 ACC) were blanked for the first time since a 3-0 loss to Notre Dame in the final game of the 2005 NCAA Gainesville Regional, but won the first two games of the series to take their fifth straight three-game set from the Deacs (15-15, 4-8 ACC).
Niesen, who moved to 3-3 with the win, is the fourth southpaw to hand Carolina a loss this season. After allowing five hits over the first three innings, he set down 13 straight Tar Heels until allowing a walk to open the eighth. He bounced back to set down four straight batters before being lifted after a one-out double by Tim Federowicz in the ninth. Niesen allowed just six hits and one walk, while striking out three. Josh Ellis came on to get the final two outs and close out the win.
UNC starter Luke Putkonen (5-1) suffered his first career loss after allowing four runs, only one of which was earned, on four hits and one walk over 5 2/3 innings. He committed one of the three errors that led to three unearned runs for Wake Forest in the sixth inning.
One of the few bright spots for the Tar Heels was Dustin Ackley's first-inning single, which extended his hitting streak to 22 games, surpassing Adam Greenberg for what is believed to be the Carolina freshman record. Additionally, Federowicz went 2-for-4 to give him a 10-game hitting streak to match his career-best effort.
The Tar Heels squandered a chance to take an early lead, stranding four runners over the first three innings. A two-out diving catch of a liner off the bat of Federowicz by Wake right fielder Evan Ocheltree saved at least one run in the third. Niesen would take over from there and hold the Tar Heels to just one hit the rest of the way.
Putkonen retired the first 11 batters he faced until first baseman Allan Dykstra doubled down the right field line to start a two-out rally in the fourth for the Demon Deacons. Second baseman Willy Fox, who was 4-for-5 with two runs and an RBI, singled to right to put runners on the corner, and designated hitter Michael Murray followed with a single up the middle to score Dykstra.
A trio of Carolina errors led to three unearned runs in the sixth and a 4-0 lead for the Demon Deacons. Putkonen dropped a toss from Ackley for a sure out at first to open the inning, allowing left fielder Ben Terry to reach. He stole second, moved to third on a groundout and then scored on a chopper through the left side by Fox. Dykstra, who was intentionally walked before Fox's single, then scored on a wild pitch by reliever Rob Catapano, who then muffed the throw to the plate from Federowicz to allow Fox to move up to third on the play. Catapano then threw wildly to first on a grounder back to the mound by Ocheltree for his second error in the inning, allowing the fourth and final run to score in the sixth.
Third baseman Tyler Smith extended the lead to 6-0 for Wake Forest with a two-run homer to right off reliever Brian Moran in the eighth.
The Tar Heels are back in action Tuesday at Boshamer Stadium against UNC Wilmington at 6 p.m.
