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Daniel Doubles No. 14 Carolina Past NC State, 5-4
May 22, 2004 | Baseball
May 22, 2004
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Left fielder Mike Daniel doubled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth, and senior Michael Gross shut the door on NC State in the ninth to lead No. 14 North Carolina (38-17, 14-10 ACC) to a 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Wolfpack (34-20, 11-12 ACC) Saturday on Senior Day at Boshamer Stadium. With the win, the Tar Heels avoided being swept in a three-game series for the first time this season.
With the game tied at four in the bottom of the eighth, first baseman Sammy Hewitt drew a one-out walk to start the scoring rally off NC State ace reliever Joey Devine. Daniel, who pinch hit in the sixth and stayed in to play left, then hit the first pitch he saw into left center for a double and a 5-4 Tar Heel lead. Gross needed just nine pitches in the ninth to record his seventh save of the season.
Freshman reliever Robert Woodard (7-2) allowed a three-run homer in the fifth but retired the next 12 batters he faced to earn the win. Woodard went four innings and stuck out five. He allowed just one hit and no walks before Gross came on for the ninth. Devine (0-2) took the loss for the Pack. He allowed three runs on four hits in 3.1 innings.
Shortstop Greg Mangum went 3-for-4 with a homer and two runs scored, and Hubbard and center fielder Chase Younts each had two hits and an RBI to lead the Tar Heel offense. Hubbard has now hit safely in the last eight games. Mangum and catcher Chris Iannetta each hit solo home runs in the fifth to knot the score at four.
Designated hitter Mike Jensen went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer in the fifth that gave NC State a 4-2 lead. Woodard, Gross and starter Andrew Miller limited the Wolfpack to just three hits on the afternoon.
The Tar Heels took their first lead of the series thanks to a pair of first-pitch doubles in the second. Hubbard doubled to left center to lead off the inning and took third on a groundout by Hewitt. Two batters later, Younts slapped the first pitch he saw down the left field line to score Hubbard and give UNC a 1-0 lead.
Hubbard came through again in the third with an RBI single to center to lift the Tar Heels to a 2-0 advantage. The base hit scored Mangum, who was on second after singling through the right side. Designated hitter Jay Cox was thrown out at third on the play to end the inning.
Despite loading the bases in the top of the first, Miller held NC State without a hit until Jensen led off the fourth with a single. After loading the bases without another hit, the Wolfpack got on the board thanks to a sacrifice fly to right from second baseman Tim Holt.
State then claimed a 4-2 lead in the fifth thanks to the three-run homer to left by Jensen. The shot came off Woodard, who came on in relief of Miller after he allowed a walk to right fielder Ryan Johnson and a double to first baseman David Hicks.
Thanks to the solo home runs off Devine by Mangum and Iannetta, the Tar Heels knotted the score at four in the fifth. Mangum's shot to right center was his second of the series and the season, while Iannetta's blast to right was his 12th of the year.
In four-plus innings, Miller allowed three runs on two hits and five walks. He had three strikeouts, all in the second inning. NC State starter Daniel Caldwell also went four innings, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk.
Seven Tar Heel seniors, who played their last regular season game at Boshamer Stadium, were honored for the first pitch.
The Tar Heels return to action next week in the ACC Tournament. Carolina will be seeded either No. 4 or No. 5 and will face Clemson at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 26. The Tigers took two of three from the Tar Heels in the regular season.
