University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
UCF
Baseball Swings By Central Florida
January 28, 2000 | Baseball
Jan. 28, 2000
By: Travis R. Everette
Anyone interested in a pitchers' duel need not have bought a ticket at Walt Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex on Friday night as 20th-ranked Carolina faced off against #23 Central Florida. Both the Tar Heels and the UCF did their share of knocking the ball around, but the Heel offensive push in the 5th through 7th innings was just too much, too fast for the hometown favorite Golden Knights as UNC rallied for a 9-6 victory.
Carolina scored seven of its nine runs in the 5th and 6th innings alone and closer Derrick DePriest never allowed room for a comeback.
Especially pleasing for Coach Fox and the Heels about this win was the play of three freshmen who started their first collegiate games. Adam Greenberg, Chad Prosser, and Russ Adams all had exceptional games and played more like seasoned veterans than wet behind the ears youngsters. Greenberg was 3-4 at the plate while hitting a tremendous triple in only his second college at-bat. Prosser tallied two hits in his three attempts while scoring two runs, and Adams was 1-2 adding another pair to the centerfield scoreboard.
Right fielder Matt McCay continued his feverish hitting streak from this past summer's Coastal Plains League All Star performance. McCay finished the night 2-3 and scored twice.
Carolina got solid pitching performances from starter Ryan Snare who punched out seven on the evening. Winning pitcher Ryan Earey came in and gave the Heels 2.1 crucial innings to get the game into the hands of DePriest. DePriest starts the 2000 campaign in familiar territory allowing no runs and getting the save.
UNC returns to action on Saturday afternoon again in the ACC/Disney Baseball Blast at 3:00 when they face off against 7th-ranked Rice University. Carolina will send junior lefty Eric Henderson against the high-powered Owls. Remember to follow all of the action as it happens here on TarHeelBlue.com.
