University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Florida State (ACC Tourney)
Tar Heels Upset Top-Ranked Florida State, 3-2
May 23, 2003 | Baseball
May 23, 2003
SALEM, VA. - Fifth-seeded North Carolina (39-19) defeated No. 1 Florida State (48-9-1), 3-2 in ten innings on Friday evening at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium. In a game dominated by pitching, the Tar Heels put together a tenth-inning rally capped off by Sean Farrell's game-winning, walk-off single down the left field line. Carolina starter Adam Kalkhof pitched seven innings and gave up just two runs while striking out four Seminole batters. Florida State starting pitcher Trent Peterson went eight innings, giving up just two runs and striking out nine. Whitley Benson picked up the win in relief for the Tar Heels by pitching 2.2 scoreless innings.
The Seminoles scored first with a run in the top of the second inning. Jerrod Brown and Blake Balkcom led off with back-to-back singles, and after a sacrifice bunt by Chris Hart, Aaron Cheesman pushed a squeeze bunt up the first baseline which scored Brown.
Carolina tied the game with a run in the bottom of the second. Sean Farrell led the inning off with a bunt single down the third base line. Peterson retired the next two batters, but with two outs, Chris Iannetta doubled into the right-center field gap which brought Farrell around all the way from first with the Tar Heels' first run.
Daniel Wardell led off the top of the fifth inning with his fourth home run of the season, giving Florida State a 2-1 lead.
The Tar Heels tied the score with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Farrell lined a one-out double off the left field wall and came around to score when Sammy Hewitt singled through the left side of the infield.
The Seminoles threatened in the top of the eighth inning, but left the bases loaded. Tony McQuade singled off of Kalkhof to lead off the inning. Carolina then brought in lefty Scott Senatore who allowed a single to Tony Richie. After a sacrifice bunt by Brown, Balkcom was walked intentionally to load the bases. Whitley Benson entered the game for the Tar Heels and got Hart to pop out to Hewitt at third. With two outs, Cheesman hit a slow roller down the third base line. Hewitt charged in and made a strong throw on the run to retire Cheesman and end the Florida State scoring threat.
Carolina also left the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth. Jeremy Cleveland reached on a throwing error by Florida State second baseman Bryan Zech. Then with two outs, Hewitt was issued an intentional walk and Ryan Blake was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Iannetta then ripped a line drive right at McQuade in center field to end the inning.
With the score tied at two going into the bottom of the tenth inning, Carolina put together what would be a game-winning rally. Chad Prosser led the inning off with his first hit of the game, a single through the left side of the infield. Cleveland then singled to center but was picked off of first base by Seminoles' reliever Rhett James. With one out, Farrell came up to the plate and picked up his fourth hit of the game, a line drive down the left field line which rolled to the wall allowing Prosser to score from second and give the Tar Heels a dramatic extra-inning victory.
The Tar Heels will play the winner of the NC State-Georgia Tech matchup in the next round of the ACC Tournament on Saturday at approximately 5 p.m.
