University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Duke
No. 18 Carolina Drops Series Finale At Duke, 6-4
March 30, 2014 | Baseball
DURHAM, N.C. --- Duke completed its first sweep of North Carolina in 20 years with a 6-4 win over the visiting Tar Heels Sunday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field. Michael Russell and Wood Myers had two hits apiece for Carolina, which dropped its sixth in a row to fall to 15-12 and 5-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Zac Gallen failed to get out of the first for UNC, as the freshman hit three batters and walked two more before being removed with one out in the bottom of the opening frame. Duke (17-12, 7-5 ACC) scored twice in the inning but the damage was limited by some standout relief work from Henry Sisson.
Sisson, who redshirted in 2013 after transferring from Davidson, went 3.2 innings and allowed just two hits and an unearned run to keep the Tar Heels in the game.
Carolina got to Duke starter Michael Matuella for a pair of runs in the fourth to tie the game at 2. Matuella, who had not allowed a batter to reach base in 10.0 perfect innings coming into Sunday, cruised through the first three innings before Tom Zengel's RBI double scored Russell with two outs. Korey Dunbar then made it 2-2 with a run-scoring single up the middle.
The Tar Heels took a 3-2 lead in the fifth thanks to more good work with two outs. Myers doubled off Duke reliever Conner Stevens (1-0) before Russell singled him home to give Carolina its first lead of the day.
But the Blue Devils struck for three in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for good. After an error put the leadoff man on, Sisson was lifted for Trevor Kelley. Kelley (0-1) allowed a walk and a pair of RBI singles to Aaron Cohn and Grant McCabe to give Duke a 5-3 lead. The hosts added a sixth run on Taylore Cherry's wild pitch later in the inning.
Carolina threatened in the eighth and ninth but could only push across one run on Russell's ninth-inning sacrifice fly as Nick Hendrix worked the final 2.0 innings for Duke for his first save of the year.
UNC will look to get back on track with a return to Boshamer Stadium against UNCW on Tuesday, April 1, at 6 p.m.
