University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Towson
Baseball Stays On Fire, Routs Towson 18-2
March 26, 2002 | Baseball
March 26, 2002
CHAPEL HILL - North Carolina's red-hot baseball team routed Towson, 18-2, Tuesday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium for its 10th straight win. Chris Maples, named the ACC Player of the Week on Monday, hit two home runs and was 3-for-4 with a career-high seven RBIs to lead UNC's 16-hit attack. Carolina, ranked No. 24 in Baseball America's latest poll, is 16-8, while Towson fell to 9-9-1.
Carter Harrell (4-3) was perfect through four and pitched a career-long six shutout innings for his fourth win, tops on the team. Harrell scattered three hits and struck out five without issuing a walk. Rafe Bridges (1-1) gave up nine runs in 3.1 innings for the loss.
The Tar Heels pounced on the Tigers early, scoring four runs in the first, including two on a double by Maples. Carolina added two runs in the third and blew the game open with a six-run fourth, which was highlighted by two-run homers by Maples and three batters later by Ron Braun.
Adam Greenberg led off the fifth with a triple, the record-setting 15th of his career. UNC assistant coach Chad Holbrook held the previous school record for triples with 14 from 1990-93. Maples added another two-run shot in the fifth, his ninth home run in 10 games and his sixth in the last week. Maples, who has hit safely in eight straight games, has homered in consecutive at bats three times this season, including against High Point (3/13), Florida State (3/22) and today.
Mell Adams hit a three-run home run in the sixth to cap the UNC scoring, while Towson added a pair of runs in the top of the eighth.
Sean Farrell (2-for-3, 3 runs, 1 RBI), Ryan Blake (2-for-4, 3 runs, 2 RBIs), Jeremy Cleveland (2-for-3, 1 run) and Braun (3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBIs) joined Maples with big days at the plate.
Carolina concludes an 11-game homestand Wednesday at 3 p.m. against Towson. The Tar Heels play three games at Virginia this weekend.
