University of North Carolina Athletics
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East Carolina
Warren Shines As No. 4 Tar Heels Top No. 25 ECU
April 24, 2007 | Baseball
April 24, 2007
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Right-hander Adam Warren tossed a career-best seven shutout innings, and right fielder Tim Fedroff drove in a career-high four runs to pace No. 4 North Carolina to a 10-0 victory over 25th-ranked East Carolina Tuesday at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels (34-9) scored nine times over the second and third innings, and Warren and reliever Tyler Trice took over from there, combining on a three-hit shutout.
Carolina outhit the Pirates (28-13) by a 12-3 margin to claim their sixth straight win in the series and their second double-digit victory in the last three meetings. ECU has not won in Chapel Hill since 1994.
Warren (8-0) allowed no runs on just three hits and two walks en route to his eighth consecutive victory. The seven shutout innings bested six-inning starts for Warren against UNC Wilmington and Gardner-Webb earlier this season and lowered his ERA to 1.80, tops among Tar Heel starters. In addition, the New Bern native struck out five and did not allow a base hit between the second and seventh innings. Trice retired all six batters he faced over the eighth and ninth to complete UNC's fourth shutout of the season.
While Fedroff led the way with four RBI on a second-inning single and a bases-clearing triple in the third, it was a balanced effort for the Tar Heels, who saw eight of nine starters hit safely. Center fielder Seth Williams had two hits and two RBI, and third baseman Chad Flack added two hits and two runs scored. Senior Bryan Steed capped the scoring for UNC with a pinch-hit solo home run in the eighth, his second on just four hits this season.
ECU freshman starter Mike Anderson (1-1) lasted just 1 2/3 innings and allowed five runs on six hits.
After Flack doubled down the left field line in the second, the Tar Heels followed with five straight two-out hits to open up a 5-0 lead. Catcher Benji Johnson started the scoring with a single to right and moved to second when the throw to the plate got away from ECU catcher Corey Kemp.
Fedroff then drove in Johnson for his first RBI with a single through the right side. After a single to right by left fielder Reid Fronk, Williams drove in both runners with a double in the gap in right center. The hit was misplayed by Pirate centerfielder Harrison Eldridge, allowing Williams to take third, and he easily scored on a single up the middle by first baseman Dustin Ackley off reliever Jeff Ostrander for the fifth and final run of the inning. Ackley's RBI was his ACC-leading 51st of the season.
Carolina picked up where it left off against Ostrander in the third, loading the bases on singles by Horton and Flack and a walk to Johnson before Fedroff cleared them with a triple off the wall in right center on a 3-2 offering. He then scored on a throwing error by shortstop Dale Mollenhauer, the fourth miscue over a two-inning span for the Pirates, for a 9-0 Tar Heel lead.
Neither team scored over the third through seventh innings, as Warren set down 12 of the 14 batters he faced over this stretch and ECU relievers Jason Neitz and Bailey Daniels combined for 4 2/3 shutout innings. Steed's home run off Josh Ruhlman in the eighth closed out the scoring.
The Tar Heels are back in action Wednesday at 6 p.m. against High Point before heading to NC State for a three-game series beginning Friday.
