University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Florida State
No. 12 Seminoles Stop No. 16 North Carolina, 10-6
March 27, 2004 | Baseball
March 27, 2004
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - First baseman Daniel Wardell homered twice, and Eddy Martinez-Esteve and Ryne Malone each had four hits to lead No. 12 Florida State (21-6, 4-1 ACC) to a 10-6 win over No. 16 North Carolina (19-6, 3-2 ACC) Saturday at Boshamer Stadium. The loss was just the Tar Heels' second in 19 home games this season. The rubber match of the three-game set is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday.
Led by Martinez-Esteve, who was 4-for-5 with a homer, and Malone, who was 4-for-5 with three runs batted in, the Seminoles' 15 hits were the second-most allowed by Tar Heel pitching this season. FSU jumped on Tar Heel starter Garry Bakker (2-2) for seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and three walks in just 2.2 innings.
Florida State starter Eddie Cannon (7-1) earned the win after allowing eight hits and four runs over 6.1 innings. Rhett James came on to work 2.1 scoreless innings and earn his second save of the year.
Carolina was led at the plate by right fielder Marshall Hubbard, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and his team-best ninth home run of the year. Designated hitter Matt Ellington also went 2-for-4, and second baseman Bryan Steed was 2-for-3. Catcher Chris Iannetta singled in the ninth to extend his career-best hitting streak to 14 games.
The Seminoles jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings courtesy of of a pair of home runs and a Tar Heel error. Martinez-Esteve hit a solo shot to right center in the first, and Wardell ripped a two-run blast to left in the second for a 3-0 FSU advantage. The Noles' final run of the second came on a throwing error by Iannetta, who threw high to first on an attempted double play. The errant throw allowed Seminole left fielder Matt Sauls to score and gave FSU a 4-0 advantage. Martinez-Esteve's homer was his second of the series and ninth on the year.
Hubbard got the Tar Heels on the board in the second with a solo home run to center.
Florida State tallied three more runs in the third to take a 7-1 lead. Malone drove in the first run of the inning with a single to right, and center fielder Shane Robinson followed that up with a two-run double. Malone struck again in the seventh with a two-run homer to right center to lift FSU to a 9-1 advantage.
Carolina got back into the game with five runs in the bottom of the seventh. Ellington singled and center fielder Mike Daniel doubled to start the rally before Steed singled to right center to score Carolina's first run since the second. After Daniel scored on a bloop single to left by freshman Jay Cox, Hubbard was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to cut the lead to 9-4. The final two runs of the frame came home when FSU third baseman Dennis Anderson botched a chopper of the bat of Carolina's Sammy Hewitt. Cox and catcher Chris Iannetta, who walked, scored on the play.
Wardell's second homer of the day, a solo shot to left, gave the Seminoles a 10-6 lead in the top of the ninth.
After Bakker's struggles, sophomore Jonathan Hovis came on to work 3.1 scoreless innings. Senior Whitley Benson also worked 1.1 scoreless innings of relief.
The series concludes at 1 p.m. Sunday. Freshman Andrew Miller (2-2) will start for Carolina, while sophomore Mark Sauls (3-1) is scheduled to start for FSU.
