University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Appalachian State
Tar Heels Top Appalachian State, 8-5
March 2, 2004 | Baseball
March 2, 2004
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Four pitchers combined on a four-hitter, and the Tar Heel bats came alive for a season-high three home runs to lead North Carolina (5-3) to an 8-5 win over Appalachian State (0-10) Tuesday at Boshamer Stadium. The game was the first of 11 in a row at home for UNC and snapped a three-game losing streak.
Junior right fielder Marshall Hubbard hit a three-run blast in the first inning, and freshmen Jay Cox and Bryan Steed followed with their first career round-trippers to lead the Tar Heel offense. Catcher Chris Iannetta was 2-for-3 with two RBI, and second baseman Greg Mangum also added two hits.
Starter Andrew Miller and relievers Jonathan Hovis, Kevin Brower and Scott Senatore combined to limit Appalachian State to just four hits and one earned run. Hovis picked up his first win of the season, while Senatore worked a perfect ninth to record his first save.
Hubbard put the Tar Heels on the board with a three-run homer to right center in the top of the first. The hit scored Iannetta, who walked, and designated hitter Wes Moyer, who singled. The home run was Hubbard's second of the year and tied him with Iannetta for the team lead.
The Mountaineers bounced back with four runs in the top of the second to take a 4-3 lead. The big hit of the frame was a two-run single off the bat of ASU third baseman Brad Peisel, which tied the game at three. Miller, who hit three batters in the inning, hit catcher Brett Pomykala with the bases loaded to plate the go-ahead run. Three of the four runs in the inning were unearned.
Following a 46-minute rain delay, the Mountaineers scratched for another run in the fourth when a throwing error by Mangum allowed a run to score. Cox quickly got that run back for the Tar Heels with a solo homer to left field in the bottom of the inning, the first of his career.
After Carolina center fielder Mell Adams tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth, Iannetta put the Tar Heels ahead, 7-5, with a two-run single to left center. Freshman Bryan Steed, who entered at third base in the top of the seventh, homered to left in the bottom of the inning to push the lead to 8-5.
Miller worked four innings and allowed four hits and one earned run while striking out five. Hovis (1-0) came on in the top of the fifth and worked two hitless innings, as did Brower, who worked the seventh and eighth innings. ASU's Taylor Craig falls to 0-3 with the loss. Peisel led the Mountaineers at the plate with two hits.
Carolina returns to action this weekend when it hosts St. Francis (N.Y.) for a three-game set. Games are scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
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