University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Appalachian St
Tar Heels Hold Off Appalachian State For 9-7 Win
March 7, 2001 | Baseball
March 7, 2001
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The University of North Carolina baseball team defeated Appalachian State Wednesday evening, 9-7, at Boshamer Stadium to improve to 12-3 on the season. ASU falls to 1-13.
Whitley Benson (2-0) pitched two innings of relief and earned his second win of the year, while Jason Howell got the final two outs in the ninth inning for his third save. David Batten allowed four runs on four hits over 0.1 innings for his first loss (0-1).
Carolina and ASU traded runs in the third and fifth innings and were tied 2-2 before the Tar Heels pulled ahead 3-2 in the sixth on an RBI single by shortstop Chad Prosser. An RBI double by ASU's Wes Timmons tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the seventh and the Mountaineers then added an unearned run for a 4-3 seventh-inning lead.
ut Carolina responded with four runs in the seventh to go back on top 7-4. Ralph Roberts crushed a three-run home run to left to put the Tar Heels ahead 6-4. Chris Maples followed with a triple and Jeremy Cleveland knocked Maples home for the three-run advantage.
en Wellborn's two-run homer in the eighth pulled ASU back to within 7-6, but Howell's two-run single pushed UNC's lead back to three runs at 9-6. Chris Downard homered in the top of the ninth, but with the Mountaineers threatening with the go-ahead run at the plate, Howell got Carey Hobbs to strike out looking to end the game.
Howell, who was a three-year letterwinner at Appalachian State before transferring to UNC last fall, was 2-for-5 to go with his third save. Chris Maples, Jeremy Cleveland and Prosser also each had two-hit games.
Downard led the way for ASU at the plate, going 3-for-4 on two doubles and a home run. He also added two RBIs and he scored a run. Timmons and Wellborn had two-hit games.
The win was Mike Fox's 99th as UNC's head coach. Now in his third year, Fox is on pace to become the fastest Carolina head coach to win 100 games.
Carolina hosts Le Moyne College for a three-game series this weekend. Game times are as follows: Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Carolina's pitching rotation is Dennis Robinson (Friday), Daniel Moore (Saturday) and Scott Manshack (Sunday).
