University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
High Point
Baseball Drops High Point 9-4
March 13, 2002 | Baseball
March 13, 2002
CHAPEL HILL - The North Carolina baseball team ended a three-game losing streak with a 9-4 win over High Point (9-9) Wednesday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. Chris Maples had home runs in the sixth and seventh innings as Carolina (7-8) blew open a 2-2 game with seven runs on 12 hits over the final three innings in the five-run win.
"We had to get that taste out of our mouths from losing three games at Auburn," said UNC head coach Mike Fox. "You always feel better after a win. We got off to a slow start and I was getting a little concerned, but baseball's a long game and we got some really good swings of the bat at the end. I also thought our relievers did a nice job."
The Panthers went down 1-2-3 in the first on three strikeouts, but Andy Harney led off the second with a homer to right field for a 1-0 High Point lead. John Cavanaugh added an RBI double in the inning for a two-run lead.
Carolina answered with a pair of runs in the third inning. Adam Greenberg had a two-out triple and scored, while Chad Prosser walked and scored an unearned run after an error by High Point third baseman Kemp Smith. Greenberg's triple was his fourth of the season and the 14th of his career, which ties Carolina assistant coach Chad Holbrook for the UNC career lead in triples.
High Point starter Matt Burch allowed just three hits in the first five innings, but Chris Maples sparked the Tar Heels offense with a leadoff homer in the sixth. Ryan Blake also singled and scored in the inning as Carolina went on top 4-2. Maples followed an RBI double by Sean Farrell in the seventh with a two-run homer to extend the UNC lead to 7-3, and in the eighth Farrell added an RBI single and Blake's two-out double drove in Farrell for UNC's final run.
Russ Adams was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and has now hit in a career-high-tying nine straight games. Adams has upped his batting to average to .414 by going 15-for-23 over the last five games. Meanwhile, Maples (3-for-5, three RBIs, two runs) is riding an eight-game hitting streak, Greenberg (2-for-5, one run) has hit in seven straight games and Sean Farrell (2-for-4, three RBIs, two runs) in six straight Blake and Jeremy Cleveland also had two-hit games for the Tar Heels.
Carter Harrell (2-3) gave up one run in 1.2 innings of relief for the win. Kevin Brower pitched 2.1 scoreless innings out of the Tar Heel bullpen, his seventh straight appearance (10 innings) without allowing a run since the season-opener on Feb. 15. Scott Senatore got the game's final out with the bases loaded in the ninth for his first save.
Carolina opens the ACC season on Friday against Maryland. Game time at Boshamer is at 3 p.m.
