University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Charlotte
Williams' Walk-Off Sends No. 2 Tar Heels Past No. 25 Charlotte
April 10, 2007 | Baseball
April 10, 2007
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Center fielder Seth Williams belted a walk-off, three-run home run to send No. 2 North Carolina past 25th-ranked Charlotte, 6-3, Tuesday in a top-25 clash at Boshamer Stadium. Relievers Matt Danford and Andrew Carignan combined for 5 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for the Tar Heels, who moved to 30-5 to match the 1983 club for the program's top 35-game start.
Williams, who was 2-for-5 for his fourth straight multi-hit game, hit the first pitch he saw from 49er reliever Bryan Hamilton over the left field wall for his team-best sixth home run and the Tar Heels' 11th straight victory over Charlotte (26-6). Right fielder Kyle Shelton was hit by a pitch by Matt Foard, and left fielder Reid Fronk drew a walk to put two on for Williams.
Carignan (1-1) earned the win with 2 1/3 scoreless frames. He worked out of a jam in the seventh and faced the minimum over the last two innings, while striking out two. Danford, who is now sixth all-time at Carolina in career appearances, pitched well in his 100th career game, striking out three and allowing just three singles over 3 1/3 innings.
Foard (1-1) took the loss after allowing two runs on two hits over two innings. Center fielder Chris Lane was 3-for-3 with an RBI to lead the 49ers at the plate.
With a 3-for-4 effort Tuesday, freshman Dustin Ackley now owns the third-longest hitting streak in Carolina history all by himself at 27 games. Third baseman Chad Flack also added three hits for just the second time this season and now has five hits over the last two games. In addition to Williams, catcher Benji Johnson also had two hits.
Ackley found a first-inning base hit for the 11th time in his hitting streak to give the Tar Heels an early 1-0 lead. Left fielder Reid Fronk doubled to left to push his current hitting streak to 10 games, and Ackley followed two batters later with a single to left for his ACC-high 47th RBI of the year.
But the lead was short-lived as Charlotte came back with two runs in the top of the second to grab the lead. Left fielder Brad McElroy singled to lead off the inning and came around to tie the game on a double into gap in right-center by designated hitter Chris Taylor. Right fielder Spencer Steedley reached on an error by UNC starter Luke Putkonen, and Lane followed with a sacrifice fly to center to give the 49ers a 2-1 lead.
Carolina quickly scratched out a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at two through two. Consecutive singles by Flack and second baseman Kyle Seager put a runner in scoring position for Johnson, who singled just out of the reach of 49er shortstop Shayne Moody to drive in the tying run.
After Charlotte retook the lead on an RBI fielder's choice for McElroy in the top of the third, the Tar Heels put runners on the corners with no outs in the bottom of the inning but could not push across a run. The 49ers caught a break when a wild pitch from Charlotte starter Kyle Pfirrman bounced right back to catcher Kris Rochelle, who flipped it to Pfirrman in time to tag out Williams at the plate for the first out. UNC followed with back-to-back pop-ups to end the threat.
The Tar Heels did manage the game-tying run in the fourth when Johnson doubled into the left field corner, where McElroy misplayed the ball, allowing Shelton to score all the way from first. Shelton started the two-out rally with a single to short.
UNC labored through the top of the seventh, using four pitchers, but kept the 49ers off the scoreboard. With runners on the corners and two out, the Tar Heels went to Carignan, who struck out Charlotte's top hitter, Rochelle, to end the inning and preserve the tie.
Both starters worked just three innings and did not figure into the decision. Putkonen, who will also start Sunday against Duke, allowed three runs on four hits, while Pfirrman gave up two runs on seven hits.
Carolina is back in action at Elon at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
