University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Florida State
Nine-Run Seventh Inning Rallies Baseball Past No. 1 FSU, 11-7
March 22, 2002 | Baseball
March 22, 2002
CHAPEL HILL - North Carolina exploded for nine runs in the seventh inning, including solo and grand slam home runs by Chris Maples, to defeat No. 1 Florida State 11-7 in a wild baseball series-opener Friday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels (13-8) have won seven straight and are 4-0 in the ACC for the first time since 1995.
UNC entered the seventh trailing 7-2 and had just three hits all afternoon, but Maples sparked the Tar Heels with a leadoff homer, his seventh home run of the season and third in four games. A Ron Braun single ran FSU starter Matt Lynch from the game, and Carolina pounced on the Florida State bullpen. Before the seventh was done, the Seminoles had walked three batters, thrown one wild pitch that scored a run and committed an error that ended up making six of UNC's nine runs in the inning unearned.
With the Tar Heels within two runs, Sean Farrell hit a sac fly that cut the gap to 7-6. Ryan Blake drew a two-out walk to load the bases and Maples came to the plate for the second time in the inning and sent a Daniel Hodges pitch over the fence in right-center field for his second bomb in the inning and a 10-7 Carolina lead. Braun followed with a solo shot and Carolina led 11-7.
"We never expect to have a big inning like the seventh, not only in this league but against a team like Florida State," said UNC head coach Mike Fox. "We gave away some runs and they gave away some runs but we were able to put the dagger in with Chris Maples's home run. It's a great win for us - but it's only one."
Michael Gross closed the door on FSU, striking out three in two hitless and scoreless innings for his first save.
Friday's game figured to be eventful from the outset, when three errors by the top-ranked Seminoles allowed UNC to jump out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first. Chris Iannetta had a solo homer in the second for a 2-0 Carolina lead, before Ryan Barthelemy homered in the fourth and the Seminoles got four runs in the fifth for a 5-2 advantage. FSU added two runs in the sixth and looked to be in control with Lynch cruising until Carolina's heroics in the seventh.
Maples, who has hit six of his team-high eight home runs in the last 10 days, finished 3-for-4 with five RBIs. Iannetta has hit safely in five straight games, including home runs in three straight, and the Tar Heels have now hit 17 home runs and scored 62 runs in their last four games.
Whitley Benson (1-1) was the winning pitcher for Carolina, while Trent Peterson (1-2) took the loss for FSU. The Seminoles are 26-6 overall, 2-2 in the ACC.
Carolina and Florida State resume their series Saturday at 1 p.m. Sunday's first pitch is scheduled for Noon.
