University of North Carolina Athletics
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Maryland
No. 4 Carolina Takes Opener At Maryland, 4-3
March 16, 2012 | Baseball
March 16, 2012
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - No. 4 North Carolina overcame an early two-run deficit and claimed a 4-3 win at Maryland Friday night to move to 4-0 in the ACC for the first time since 2002. Sophomore Kent Emanuel won his 12th straight decision and moved to 5-0 by tossing 7.1 innings and striking out seven.
Maryland jumped on Emanuel in the very first inning as the Terps picked up three hits and pushed across a pair of runs. Emanuel escaped further trouble by forcing a double play to end the threat and keep the deficit at two runs.
The Tar Heels cut the margin to one run (2-1) in the fourth as Cody Stubbs roped a ball down the right field line for a one-out double. The double was Stubbs' 12th of the year where he ranks second in the ACC.
Following a ground out that moved Stubbs to third, Mike Zolk battled Maryland starter Brady Kirkpatrick to a full count before sending a ball up the middle and into center field for a RBI single.
Carolina kept the momentum going in the fifth inning when No. 9 hitter Parks Jordan opened the frame by drawing a walk. Leadoff hitter Chaz Frank laid down a sacrifice bunt down the first base line and his speed forced Kirkpatrick to make a quick throw to first that pulled the first baseman off the bag.
Tommy Coyle moved Jordan and Frank up a base with a sacrifice bunt to the right side of the infield before Colin Moran was issued an intentional walk to load the bases for Jacob Stallings.
The senior backstop took 1-1 offering from Kirkpatrick and drove a pitch into left field to score Jordan from third with ease and Frank made a tremendous slide around the tag of Maryland's catcher to give UNC a 3-2 advantage.
Carolina tacked on another run in the sixth thanks to a Terapin miscue when Michael Russell drew a one out walk and was on the move with a 1-0 count against Parks Jordan. With the hit and run play on, Jordan slapped a single through the hole vacated by the Maryland shortstop. Russell raced around second and was slowing into third as the Maryland left fielder fumbled the ball allowing Russell to score and go up 4-2.
Maryland answered with a run in the sixth to cut the Tar Heel lead to 4-3 before Emanuel responded with a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh, his third of the night.
Emanuel allowed a lead off single to open the eighth inning but buckled down and struck out Tim Kiene for the third time on the night before departing for closer Michael Morin.
Morin notched a strike out and picked up a ground out to end the threat in the eighth before closing the door in the ninth to register his league-leading seventh save of the year.
Mike Zolk finished the day with a pair of hits to lead the Tar Heels, while Jacob Stallings drove in a pair of runs.
Emanuel finished the day by allowing three runs in 7.1 innings of work, while he walked one and struck out seven to move to 5-0 on the year.
Carolina improved to 4-0 in the ACC this season and match the best start in conference play since 2002.
The Tar Heels will look to move to 5-0 on Saturday as junior right-hander Chris Munnelly will face senior right-hander David Carroll. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. and TarHeelBlue.com will provide online audio.
