University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Florida State
Baseball Sweeps No. 1 FSU With 9-1 Win
March 24, 2002 | Baseball
March 24, 2002
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CHAPEL HILL - North Carolina completed its first ever three-game baseball sweep of Florida State by winning Sunday's series-finale 9-1 at Boshamer Stadium. The top-ranked Seminoles had been swept just three times - all at Clemson - since joining the ACC in 1992 before this weekend. Carolina (15-8) has won nine straight and is 6-0 in the ACC for the first time since 1990, the last year it won the conference title.
"We're obviously very happy," said UNC head coach Mike Fox. "This was a great three days for our team and our program against a very good Florida State team. We've been playing with a lot of poise and with a lot of confidence. We put all the phases of the game together this weekend with some timely hitting, pitching and defense. We're on fire right now, there's no question. We just want it to continue."
Carolina's strong starting pitching continued Sunday with sophomore lefty Daniel Moore (3-0) scattering five hits and allowing just one unearned run in seven innings. Behind Moore, the Tar Heels turned pivotal double plays in the first, sixth and eighth innings.
"I thought one of the biggest plays of the game was Maples fielding that ground ball in the first inning and turning that double play," Fox said. "We said, 'Let's win the first three innings, and I think we'll have a chance to win the game.' We came out and did what we wanted to by putting some pressure on them to have to come from behind."
That pressure came in the form of three runs in the first and one in the second for a quick 4-0 lead. Adam Greenberg and Russ Adams led off the bottom of the first with a pair of singles. Adams stole second and Greenberg raced home on the play and beat a throw from FSU second baseman Bryan Zech to score UNC's first run. Chris Maples drew a bases-loaded walk for a 2-0 UNC lead and Sean Farrell scored on a ground out by Ron Braun to cap the first inning scoring. Mell Adams extended UNC's lead to 4-0 with a solo homer to right-center field in the second.
FSU starter Blair Varnes (4-3) settled down and allowed just a pair of doubles over the next four innings while retiring 12 of 14 batters to keep FSU within striking distance.
The Seminoles ended a 14-inning drought against the Tar Heels, dating back to the second inning of Saturday's 7-1 loss, with an unearned run in the seventh. With two out in the inning, Scott Toole hit a dribbler down the third base line that Moore fielded but threw away, allowing Toole to get to second. Moore balked Toole to third and a passed ball by catcher Chris Iannetta allowed him to score. With two runners on and FSU threatening for more, Carolina got out of the inning when Mell Adams raced down a fly to right by Tony McQuade.
The Tar Heels blew the three-run game open with five runs in the eighth on six hits. Ryan Blake and Iannetta had RBI singles, Maples an RBI double and Chad Prosser hit a two-run triple to highlight the inning for UNC.
Ryan Blake and Mell Adams were both 3-for-4 in the 9-1 win, while Maples was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and finished the series 6-for-11 with 11 RBIs and three home runs.
"We've been pitching, playing defense and hitting the ball," Moore said. "Any time you can get all three of those over any stretch of time you're going to have a successful ball club."
Carolina concludes an 11-game homestand with games against Towson on Tuesday and Wednesday at 3 p.m. The Tar Heels play three games at Virginia next weekend.
