University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Florida State
No. 1 Seminoles Edge No. 2 Tar Heels, 4-2
April 20, 2007 | Baseball
April 20, 2007
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - North Carolina ace Robert Woodard matched a career high with eight strikeouts and held No. 1 Florida State to just two runs over seven innings, but the second-ranked Tar Heels managed only six hits in a 4-2 loss to the Seminoles Friday at Dick Howser Stadium. Carolina (32-8, 13-6 ACC) has now lost 18 of its 21 games on the road against the FSU (36-5, 14-2 ACC) since 1993.
In an anticipated meeting of senior right-handers, FSU's Bryan Henry also fanned eight and allowed one run on four hits over eight innings to move to 10-0 on the season. Woodard (7-1) suffered just his fourth career loss and first since falling at Georgia Tech March 26, 2006. He scattered a career high-tying nine hits for the second straight game and the fourth time in his career.
Woodard's eight strikeouts equaled a career-high established earlier this season against Penn State. He fanned FSU leading hitting Tony Thomas, Jr. three times and walked just two on the night. The loss snapped a string of 12 consecutive victories for the Charlotte product and dropped him to 30-4 in his career. He will have another chance at claiming UNC's career victories mark at NC State next weekend.
Center fielder Mark Gildea was 3-for-4 with a game-high three RBI, and third baseman Jason Stidham was 3-for-3 with the go-ahead RBI in the sixth inning to lead the Seminoles to their 11th straight game with double-digit hits.
Carolina's six hits were its fewest since an April 1 loss to Wake Forest. Catcher Tim Federowicz had an RBI double in the sixth, and first baseman Dustin Ackley hit his sixth home run in the ninth to account for the Tar Heels' runs.
The Seminoles grabbed an early 1-0 lead on a Gildea RBI single in the second. Stidham led off the inning with a single, was bunted to second and then scored on Gildea's two-out single to left center.
Carolina had runners on second and third with just one out in the top of the third but could not push across a run, as Tim Fedroff struck out and Josh Horton lined out to left. FSU squandered a chance to add to its lead in the bottom of the inning, stranding Thomas, Jr. at third after a leadoff double.
After going in order in the fourth and fifth innings, the Tar Heels tied the game in the top of the sixth on a single off the right-field wall by Federowicz. Fedroff started the one-out rally with a single to right center and he took third on a single to center by Horton that Gildea got a glove on but could not catch. Federowicz then lined a 3-2 pitch from Henry off the wall in right to drive in Fedroff and tie the game. Horton tried to score the go-ahead run from first at the play but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
The Seminoles came right back to regain the lead in the bottom of the inning on a single by Stidham. Shortstop Mark Hallberg led off the inning with a single, took second on a Jack Rye single off the glove of UNC second baseman Garrett Gore and scored on Stidham's third hit of the night, a single through the right side to give FSU a 2-1 lead.
Florida State added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth against the UNC bullpen. Right fielder Jack Rye singled and Stidham reached on an error and both came around to score on a double to right by Gildea off Rob Wooten. Both runs in the inning were charged to lefty Matt Cox.
Those runs proved to be big for the Seminoles, as Ackley led off the ninth with a solo home run off closer Danny Rosen to cut the lead to the 4-2 final margin. Rosen earned his sixth save.
The series continues at 1 p.m. Saturday on Fox Sports Net South and concludes at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
