University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Seton Hall
Baseball Falls 4-2 To Seton Hall
February 16, 2002 | Baseball
Feb. 16, 2002
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - One day after No. 19 North Carolina rallied for a dramatic season-opening baseball win over Seton Hall, the Pirates came from behind to drop the Tar Heels, 4-2, in 10 innings Saturday at Boshamer Stadium. Mike Bascom scored an unearned run in the top of the eighth to knot the game, 2-2, and Casey Grimm broke the tie with a two-run single in the 10th for the victory.
"When you're in a close game like this, one play can dictate whether you win or lose and you have to give credit to Seton Hall for coming back," said UNC head coach Mike Fox. "They took advantage with a big hit there at the end and they deserved to win. They played better than we did, certainly."
Carter Harrell, Friday's winning pitcher, suffered the loss, to fall to 1-1 while Chris Noonan pitched 3.2 scoreless innings for the win. Harrell struck out four batters in 2.2 innings but got into trouble in the 10th by allowing a leadoff single and then loading the bases by hitting back-to-back batters before Grimm drove in the game-winning runs.
Carolina, which committed four errors and stranded 11 base runners, threatened to pull back ahead of the Pirates in the bottom of the eighth with the game tied 2-2, but Noonan struck out Adam Greenberg with runners on second and third base to end the inning.
Carolina was in control of the game early with strong pitching by Daniel Moore and two early runs. Russ Adams, who injured his left thumb in Friday's season-opener and was unable to play in the field on Saturday, had a two-out double and Ron Braun's single to right field drive him home for the game's first run in the third. Sean Farrell added an unearned run later that inning for the 2-0 lead.
Moore, who struck out the side in the fifth inning, and finished with a career-high six K's got into trouble in the sixth. Josh Schuck and Bascom had back-to-back one-out singles and Todd Crawford walked to load the bases against the sophomore lefty. Pat Barlow hit a slow dribbler down the third base line off of reliever Whitley Benson to score Schuck before Carolina got out of the inning.
ascom, who walked to lead off the eighth for Seton Hall, stole third base and came home on a throwing error by Braun for the tying run.
Seton Hall's 1-2-3 batters - Joey Scott, Schuck and Bascom - got five of the team's eight hits, while Pirates starter Brett Hoffman and Noonan scattered six UNC hits in breaking an 11-game winning streak by UNC in the series.
The Tar Heels and Pirates complete their three-game set Sunday at 2 p.m. Admission to all Carolina home games in February is free.
