University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Georgia
Baseball Falls 10-8 To Georgia
February 22, 2002 | Baseball
Feb. 22, 2002
SAVANNAH, Ga. - The University of North Carolina baseball team dropped a wild 10-8 contest to Georgia Friday afternoon in the first of game of the Memorial Health Diamond Classic here at Historic Grayson Stadium. The Tar Heels drop to 1-3, while the Bulldogs are 1-0, their fifth straight win in a season opener.
In a game that was back and forth throughout, Georgia erased an 8-7 deficit with three unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth. Justin McClain's two-run homer, his second long ball of the game, was the game-winner for the Bulldogs.
Max Havel got the win and Jeffrey Causwell the save for Georgia, while Carter Harrell was credited with the loss to fall to 1-2.
"It was just another close game," said UNC head coach Mike Fox, whose Tar Heels have lost three straight games - by a combined five runs - after opening the season with a win. "But I'm proud of our team the way they played battled back from being down three times. They got the big hit in the end and in a close game one or two swings of the bat can be the difference."
After the game's first pitch was delayed by 40 minutes due to a scheduling mishap by the tournament organizers, both teams came out with fireworks at the plate. The two teams combined for 12 runs and three home runs through the first three and a half innings, including seven runs in the first.
Adam Greenberg tripled and scored in the leadoff slot, while Ron Braun's two-run, two-out homer to right highlighted a three-run first for UNC. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs answered with four runs on just two hits in the bottom of the inning. McClain's three-run, two-out home run over the short left field fence helped Georgia to a 4-3 advantage after just one inning of play.
Chad Prosser doubled and scored an unearned run to tie the game, 4-4, in the third but Georgia third baseman Lee Mitchell crushed a two-run homer to right-center field in the bottom of the inning as the Bulldogs pulled back out front, 6-4. Chris Maples and Jeremy Cleveland both doubled and scored for the Heels in the fourth as UNC pulled even again,6-6.
Georgia reclaimed the lead in the sixth when David Coffey's two-out single drove home Lytle from third, but the Tar Heels scored two unearned runs in the seventh for a 7-6 lead. Russ Adams led off the top of the seventh and got to second on a two-base error by UGA second baseman Justin Holmes. Sean Farrell doubled Adams home and later scored the go-ahead run for Carolina.
ut Georgia's three runs in the eighth were enough to hold off the Tar Heels in the end. Justin Holmes reach on an error by UNC third baseman Mickey Burgess to lead off the inning. Holmes came home to tie the game, 8-8, setting the stage for McClain's game-winning homer.
Making his second start of 2002, Daniel Moore struggled for the Tar Heels. Moore struck out two of the first four batters he faced and three Bulldogs overall, but he was pulled in the third after allowing six runs and two home runs. Scott Manshack pitched a solid 3.1 innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
The Tar Heels also showed promise at the plate. After opening the season with 19 hits in three games against Seton Hall, Carolina had 10 hits, including six for extra bases. Greenberg, Farrell and Maples had two hits apiece to lead UNC.
Carolina resumes play in the Diamond Classic Saturday at 2 p.m. against host school Armstrong State. The Tar Heels face Connecticut at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
