University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Towson
Homers Lead No. 16 Tar Heels Past Towson, 14-1
March 23, 2004 | Baseball
March 23, 2004
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 16 North Carolina hit a season-high four home runs, and senior Whitley Benson allowed just one run over six innings to lead the Tar Heels (17-5, 2-1 ACC) to 14-1 win over Towson (7-9) Tuesday at Boshamer Stadium. With the victory, Carolina won for the 13th time in its last 15 games and improved to 15-1 at home this season.
Senior Sammy Hewitt, junior Marshall Hubbard, junior Justin Webb and junior Mark Griffin each homered to lead the Tar Heel offense to its sixth double-digit scoring game of the season. Webb, who hit a fifth inning grand slam, went 3-for-4 with career-bests of four runs scored and four runs batted in. The three hits also tied a career high. Shortstop Greg Mangum, left fielder Jay Cox, first baseman Chris Iannetta and infielder Bryan Steed each added two hits apiece.
enson (3-0) won for his second consecutive start and surrendered just one run on three hits and no walks, while striking out three. He tied a career-high with six innings pitched for the second consecutive outing. Benson is now tied with Daniel Bard for the team lead with three victories on the year. Bryan Phillips and Bo Dickerson closed out the win with three shutout innings.
Down 1-0 entering the bottom of the second, Hewitt homered for the second consecutive game to lift Carolina to a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning. The shot to deep left center scored designated hitter Matt Ellington, who singled to right field. The Tar Heels added one more run in frame when Mangum drove in Webb, who also singled to right, on a sacrifice fly to left field.
The Tar Heels sent 11 batters to the plate and added six runs in the bottom of the fifth to break the game open. After singles by Mangum and Cox, Iannetta singled to right to score Mangum from second. Hubbard then drove in Cox on a sacrifice fly to right. After walks to Ellington and center fielder Mike Daniel loaded the bases, Webb homered to left for Carolina's first grand slam of the season and a 9-1 UNC lead. Mangum had two hits in the inning and eight different Tar Heels reached base in the frame.
Carolina added runs in the sixth and seventh on Hubbard's home run and a pinch-hit single up the middle by Craig Corrado.
In the eighth, pinch hitter Brack Massey singled for his first collegiate hit, and Webb walked before Griffin homered to left for his first career round-tripper and a 14-1 final score.
The Tigers' Matt Holley (0-2) took the loss after allowing three runs on six hits and one walk in three innings. Towson right fielder Adam Heffron had an RBI single in the second to put Towson ahead 1-0 before Carolina scored 14 unanswered.
The Tigers and Tar Heels conclude the two-game series at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Carolina hosts No. 12 Florida State for a three-game series this weekend.
