University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Florida State
Carolina Rally Falls Short In 5-4 Loss To FSU
April 21, 2007 | Baseball
April 21, 2007
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Jack Rye's two-run home run in the fifth inning proved to be the difference for No. 1 Florida State in a 5-4 win over No. 2 North Carolina Saturday at Dick Howser Stadium. Trailing 5-0 after five, the Tar Heels (32-9, 13-7 ACC) rallied for four runs in the sixth but went in order the rest of the way to drop their sixth straight series at FSU, where they are just 1-16 since winning a three-game set in 1995.
In addition to his fifth inning homer, Rye also added a sacrifice fly in the third for a game-high three RBI. Additionally, shortstop Mark Hallberg had two hits, and second baseman Tony Thomas, Jr. doubled and scored two runs for the Seminoles (37-5, 15-2 ACC). Left fielder Ohmed Danesh also added a solo home run in the fourth.
FSU righty Jimmy Marshall (2-0) picked up the win with 1 2/3 hitless innings of relief, while closer Danny Rosen earned his second straight save and seventh of the year with two shutout innings.
Losers of four of five games for the first time since the end of the 2005 season, Carolina had just five hits on the day and has only 11 hits over the first two games of the series. No Tar Heel had more than one hit on the day, and leading hitter Dustin Ackley was held hitless for just the fourth time all season.
Freshman right-hander Alex White (4-3) suffered his second straight loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on just four hits and three walks over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out three and was lifted in favor of lefty Rob Catapano, who allowed Rye's home run, with a runner on third and two out in the fifth. Senior right-hander Matt Danford pitched well in relief for UNC with 2 2/3 shutout innings.
Trailing 5-0 and with only one hit in the game entering the sixth, the Tar Heels put up four runs on four hits to trim the lead to just one. After shortstop Josh Horton drew a leadoff walked and was balked to second, catcher Tim Federowicz singled up the middle to put UNC on the board. Pinch hitter Mike Cavasinni then singled through the left side to put runners on the corners, and center fielder Seth Williams followed with a double down the left field line to plate Federowicz.
A sacrifice fly to left by left fielder Reid Fronk scored Cavasinni to cut the lead to two, and third baseman Chad Flack brought the Tar Heels within a single run with a double down the left field line.
But the Seminole bullpen took over from there, retiring 10 straight batters to end the game. Travis Burge was perfect in the seventh, and Rosen set down all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth innings.
In the first, Thomas drew a leadoff walk, moved to third on a wild pickoff attempt by White and scored on a groundout by Hallberg to give FSU an early advantage.
After working out of bases-loaded jam in the second, White was not so lucky in the third, as Florida State added to its lead on a Rye sacrifice fly. Hallberg doubled off the right-field wall, took third on a sac bunt and scored on Rye's fly out to left for a 2-0 FSU lead.
Carolina loaded the bases in the fourth on three walks but could not scratch out a run. FSU starter Michael Hyde walked the first two batters of the inning and was lifted with one out and a 2-0 count on Kyle Seager, but Marshall came on to get Seager to fly out to left and followed a walk with a bases-loaded strikeout of Fronk to keep the Tar Heels off the scoreboard.
After the Noles escaped the top of the inning without allowing a run, Danesh boosted their lead to 3-0 with his homer to right on the first pitch he saw from White in the bottom of the fourth.
Rye's sixth home run of the season pushed FSU's lead to 5-0 in the fifth. Thomas doubled to right center to leadoff the inning, and, after coming on for White, Catapano gave up a two-run, two-out shot to right by Rye.
Carolina will try to avoid its first three-game sweep since a 2005 trip to Tallahassee at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
