University of North Carolina Athletics
Baseball Tops Seton Hall, 7-6
February 23, 2001 | Baseball
Feb. 23, 2001
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Sean Farrell's ninth-inning sacrifice fly knocked home the game-winning run as the University of North Carolina baseball team topped Seton Hall 7-6 Friday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. Carolina improves to 7-2, including a perfect 6-0 at home, while the Pirates, who were playing their season-opener, dropped to 0-1.
Jason Howell (2-0) pitched the final 3.1 innings of relief for the win. The senior lefty gave up just one run on two hits while striking out two, including the first batter he faced, Brian Leighton, with the Pirates threatening with bases loaded and two outs in the sixth. Mike Wren pitched 4.1 innings of relief, giving up two runs on three hits for the loss.
After Seton Hall runs in the first and second inning, Ryan Blake drove in Carolina's first run of the game with a home run to left-center field in the second to pull Carolina to within 2-1. The Tar Heels jumped ahead 3-2 with a pair of runs in the fourth. Blake knocked in his second run with a single to right and Chris Maples drove home Ralph Roberts for the UNC lead.
In a game that went back-and-forth throughout, Seton Hall answered though with two runs of their own in the fifth. Joe Scott led off the inning with a solo homer to left and Joe Cuervo doubled and scored for a 4-3 Pirate lead.
Carolina responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning when its 1-2 hitters, Adam Greenberg and Russ Adams, each got their first hits of the game and later scored to give the Tar Heels a 5-4 advantage.
Maples hit his second homer of the year to answer a SHU run in the sixth, but another Pirate run in the seventh knotted the game at 6 until Farrell's sac fly drove in Adam Greenberg, who raced home from third for the game-winner.
The Tar Heels and Pirates each scattered 11 hits. Adams, Roberts, Blake and Maples had two hits apiece for Carolina.
The Tar Heels used five different pitchers in the win. Scott Autrey went 4.0 innings as the starter, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out two and walking one. Howell was the only other pitcher to go at least one inning.
Carolina and Seton Hall resume their weekend series with games Saturday (1 p.m.) and Sunday (1:30 p.m.) at Boshamer Stadium.
