University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Duke
Tar Heels Rout Duke, 19-10, For Sixth Straight Win
May 12, 2002 | Baseball
May 12, 2002
DURHAM - The University of North Carolina baseball team routed Duke, 19-10, Sunday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field behind 17 hits, including five home runs, for its sixth consecutive win and its 12th in the last 13 games. The sixth-ranked Tar Heels, who have won 10 straight games at Duke, improved to 37-15 overall, 15-5 in the ACC. Carolina's 15 conference wins are its most since 1990, when the Tar Heels went 17-4 and won the ACC title. The Blue Devils fell to 21-29, 3-17 in conference play.
UNC starter Garry Bakker (6-2) pitched five innings to pick up his sixth victory of the season, while Carolina's five home runs give the team 88 for the season in just 52 games, already the third most in a single season at UNC and just seven shy of matching the school record of 95 set in 1986. Jeremy Cleveland, Chris Maples, Ron Braun and Russ Adams all homered for Carolina while Brian Patrick and Colin Begley left the yard for Duke.
Carolina jumped on Duke starter Brian Patrick early, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Adam Greenberg, UNC's career triples leader, led off the game with his seventh triple of 2002 and scored on a Russ Adams sacrifice fly. Sean Farrell then walked, stole second and moved to third on a single by Chris Maples. Jeremy Cleveland plated Farrell with an RBI single and Maples would score the Tar Heels final run of the inning on an RBI groundout by catcher Chris Iannetta.
Duke responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first, but the Tar Heels scored six more times in the top of the third and forced Patrick from the game. Russ Adams singled to lead off the inning, Farrell again reached on a walk and both scored on Cleveland's sixth home run of the season. Three bases-loaded walks to Greenberg, Russ Adams and Farrrell produced the next three Carolina runs as Chad Prosser, Braun and Mell Adams all crossed the plate.
Cleveland hit his second home run of the game and Maples later followed with his ACC leading 22nd homer as the Tar Heels batted around for the second consecutive inning, scoring seven runs on seven hits in the top of the fourth. With 22 home runs, Maples moves into a second place tie with Scott Johnson and Cookie Massey for the most home runs by a Tar Heel in a single season and his 166 total bases in 2002 are a new school record.
Duke outscored Carolina 6-3 over the final five innings, but the early Tar Heel lead proved too large for the Blue Devils to overcome. Carter Harrell pitched the final two scoreless innings for Carolina, giving up just one hit while striking out three.
The starting time for Monday's series finale between the Tar Heels and Blue Devils has been changed to 1 pm. Carolina travels to Atlanta for its final ACC series of the season against Georgia Tech next weekend.
