North Carolina
Stony Brook
No. 17 Tar Heels Claim 5-1 Win Over Stony Brook
March 4, 2011 | Baseball
March 4, 2011
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Patrick Johnson threw seven one-run innings as No. 17 North Carolina beat visiting Stony Brook 5-1 Friday night at Boshamer Stadium. The win was Johnson's second in as many starts as Tom Zengel paced the offense with three RBI on the day. The Tar Heels and Seawolves will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. to conclude the series.
Johnson avoided trouble throughout the contest as the Seawolves moved a runner to second base in each of the first four innings. The senior right-hander was able to escape trouble with timely strikeouts in the first and second innings and via a pop out in the third inning but was not as lucky in the fourth.
A bunt single by Travis Jankowski and a single to right center by Michael Hubbard put runners at second and third with one out in the fourth for Stony Brook. A sacrifice fly to left field put the Seawolves in front, 1-0, before Ben Bunting made a tremendous play to avoid the big inning. Leadoff man Pat Cantwell lined a ball to center field that Bunting was able to track down and make a sliding catch on to end the inning.
Stony Brook starting pitcher Nick Tropeano kept the Tar Heels bats in check through the first three innings, allowing just a bunt single before Carolina came to life in the fourth.
A one-out walk to Colin Moran followed by a perfectly executed hit-and-run by Jacob Stallings put runners at the corners for Carolina. Chaz Frank hit a high chopper to second base that was misplayed allowing Moran to score from third to tie the game and resulting in both Stallings and Frank reaching safely.
Jesse Wierzbicki followed with one of his two hits on the day, a single to center field, before Tom Zengel came through with a base loaded single to right field that plated both Stallings and Frank making the score 3-1.
Seth Baldwin followed with a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Wierzbicki from third and provided Johnson with the cushion he needed.
Johnson came out firing in the fifth getting three quick outs before earning a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth. A one-out double in the seventh would not prove to be dangerous as Johnson recorded his sixth strike out of the day before forcing a fly out to end the inning and his day.
A sacrifice fly off the bat of Zengel in the sixth added a run for the Tar Heels.
Jimmy Messer came on for the eighth but allowed a single and a walk before making way for senior Greg Holt. The right-hander forced a fly out before an infield single loaded the bases.
Jankowski hit a slow roller down the first base line that Holt was in position to field but allowed the ball to roll into foul territory. As soon as the ball crossed the chalk Holt swiped the ball up but not before the umpire ruled the ball fair en route to loading the bases full of Seawolves.
Holt battled with Hubbard before getting the right fielder swinging for out number two. A routine grounder to Colin Moran at third would end the threat before Holt closed the door in the ninth with a pair of ground outs and a strike out for his first save of the year.
Carolina and Stony Brook will do battle again on Saturday as the teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
