University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Towson
Baseball Continues Slide, Loses 4th Straight
March 21, 2000 | Baseball
March 21, 2000
Chapel Hill, N.C. -- The Towson Tigers had a five-run second inning and held off a ninth-inning UNC rally for a 9-8 win over the sixth-ranked North Carolina baseball team Tuesday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. The loss was Carolina's fourth straight and ends a 52-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents that dates back to February 1998. The Tar Heels are now 21-4 on the year, while Towson improves to 3-5-1 on the season.
Carolina's Matt Tanner lasted just 1.2 innings in taking the loss in his first start. He allowed six runs, five of them earned, on six hits before being relieved in the second inning by Jay Madeira. Towson starter Denny Towson gave up four runs, three earned, on eight hits while striking out five for his first win.
After Towson notched an unearned run in the top of the first, the Tar Heels bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Dan Moylan led off with a double to right-center field and later scored on a Clay Hooper single. A Sean Farrell sacrifice fly scored Hooper and the Heels were on top 2-1 after just one inning.
ut Towson roared back with a five-run second inning. Six Tigers had hits in the inning, including Nick Agoglia's two-run single to extend the Towson lead to 6-2. Carolina cut the lead to 6-4 with runs in both the second and third innings, including a Tyrell Godwin solo homer in the third, but a Mike Dubansky home run in fifth gave Towson a 7-4 advantage.
Carolina loaded the bases in the eighth inning on Towson reliever Matt Brady, but the junior left-hander held off the Carolina rally and didn't allow a run. Towson then added two runs in the top of the ninth on a two-out single to left field by Jimmy Kittelberger for a 9-4 lead.
Carolina, which has scored 10 comeback wins this year, rallied in the ninth inning, but fell a run shy in dropping the 9-8 decision. The Tar Heels started the final frame with two walks, and an error by Towson third baseman Tom Trela loaded the bases for UNC. A fielder's choice by Godwin scored Moylan, and a Sean Farrell single to right field brought home Adam Greenberg and Godwin to close the score to 9-7. Eric Henderson added an RBI single to make the Towson lead 9-8, but the rally fell short when Chad Prosser grounded out to third.
Moylan and Farrell both finished 2-for-4 at the plate, while Greenberg finished 1-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.
The Tar Heels and Tigers face off again Wednesday at Boshamer Stadium at 3 p.m. Carolina hosts ACC rival NC State for a three-game series this weekend in Chapel Hill. Game times are as follows: Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
