University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Old Dominion
Fleury Rallies No. 5 UNC Past Old Dominion, 7-6
April 1, 2009 | Baseball
April 1, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Mark Fleury hit a solo home run in the eighth and followed with a walk-off RBI double in the ninth to rally No. 5 North Carolina past Old Dominion, 7-6, Wednesday at Boshamer Stadium. Led by Fleury and Garrett Gore, the Tar Heels (22-6) scored three times in the eighth and answered the Monarchs (8-16) with a run in the ninth for their third straight victory.
Fleury was 2-for-4 with two runs, his seventh homer and two RBI for his third straight multi-hit game. Gore matched his career high with three hits for the seventh time and put Carolina in front in the eighth with a two-run triple. Ben Bunting added two singles and a walk.
Max Most led ODU with three hits, and Gerard Hall was 2-for-4 with a two run home run.
Right-hander Matt Harvey (4-1) earned the win after allowing a run on three infield singles in the ninth for the Tar Heels. Robbie Watkins (0-2) took the loss after allowing go-ahead runs in both the eighth and ninth innings.
With the game tied at six in the bottom of the ninth, Kyle Seager reached on an error, took second on a balk and scored when Fleury ripped his eighth double to right for the game-winning base hit.
Back in the second inning, ODU struck first with a run against UNC right-hander Garrett Davis. Joe Velleggia was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on an RBI single to right center off the bat of Brett Harris for a 1-0 lead. Patrick Johnson, who struck out six over 3 1/3 innings of relief, came on with the bases loaded and fanned Most to limit the damage in the second.
Carolina tied the score in the bottom of the inning when Fleury walked and scored from second when Hall made a poor throw to first on a Matt Harrison grounder with two outs.
The Tar Heels took their first lead in the fourth when Harrison singled and scored when Velleggia, the ODU catcher, dropped a throw to the plate following an infield single by Gore.
The lead was short lived, however, as the Monarchs went for three in the top of the fifth to grab a 4-2 advantage. Josh Wright reached on an error by Seager and scored when Most doubled to right center. Hall atoned for his error with a two-run home run to right off Johnson to score Most and lift the ODU lead to two runs.
UNC chipped away in the fifth when Dustin Ackley drew a leadoff walk and scored when Levi Michael ripped a double down the left field line, but ODU stretched the lead back to two when Velleggia doubled and scored Harris' sac fly to right in the top of the eighth.
Fleury's seventh home run, a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the eighth, got the Tar Heels back within a single run. A pair of walks put two on for Gore, who tripled off the wall in right off Watkins to give Carolina its first lead since the fourth.
The Monarchs again rallied, tying the score at six when Jake McAloose hit into a double play with the bases loaded to score Most, who led off the inning with an infield single to short. Harvey followed the double play with a strikeout of Velleggia to set up Fleury's game-winner.
Davis, who was making his first start in over a year following "Tommy John" surgery on his right elbow worked 1 2/3 innings and allowed one run. He walked two and struck out one.
ODU starter Cory Toth went 5 2/3 innings and held UNC to three runs on seven hits and five walks.
The Tar Heels are back in action at No. 3 Georgia Tech for a three-game set beginning Friday at 7 p.m. and continuing at 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. All three games will be aired by the Tar Heel Sports Network on AM-1360 in Chapel Hill and 850 The Buzz across the Triangle.
