University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Coastal Carolina (NCAA Regional)
Carolina Rallies Past Coastal Carolina, 6-5
June 4, 2004 | Baseball
June 4, 2004
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Senior first baseman Sammy Hewitt capped a two-run ninth inning rally with a game-winning single to lift No. 2 seed North Carolina to a 6-5 victory over No. 3 seed Coastal Carolina in the first game of the Columbia NCAA Baseball Regional Friday. The Tar Heels trailed 5-1 in the game before scoring their second-largest comeback win of the season.
After UNC shortstop Greg Mangum notched a one-out single and stole second in the ninth, Mike Daniel pulled the Tar Heels (42-19) even at 5-5 with a single up the middle that scored Mangum. Daniel then advanced to second on an error, before Hewitt took Chanticleer (40-22) reliever Byron Binda's (3-5) pitch to left field to drive in the winning run and end the contest. Hewitt also drove in the game-winner in the ninth in the Tar Heels' win over Clemson at last week's ACC Tournament.
North Carolina reliever Robert Woodard (8-2) tossed 4.1 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the victory. He struck out three and walked one after taking over for starter Garry Bakker in the fifth inning. With the win, Woodard ties the Carolina school record for wins by a freshman.
Coastal Carolina threatened to get on the board first in the top of the opening inning, as Brett Granstrand led off the game with a double to left field. After Jon Foisy flied out to right field, Bakker picked Grandstrand off second, before striking out Mike Costanzo to end the inning.
North Carolina opened the scoring in the game, by taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, as Hewitt and Mell Adams reached base on a walk and a single respectively to begin the frame. The pair advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Justin Webb, before Chase Younts was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Magnum drew a two-out walk from Coastal starter Jake Hurry that scored Hewitt, before Hurry struck out Ross Cook to end the threat.
The Chanticleers answered back with three runs of their own in the top of the third inning to take a 3-1 advantage. Chris Todd and Derek Martin both singled to open the frame and Jeremiah Grove reached on an error to load the bases. A single by Grandstrand down the right field line scored Todd and Martin, making the score 2-1. Grove then scored when Bakker's pickoff attempt escaped the grasp of Hewitt at first base.
Coastal upped its lead to 5-1 in the top of the fifth inning when Martin led off with a double down the right field line. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Grove and then scored on a single by Mike Costanzo. Brett Gordon followed with another single that scored Jon Foisy, who reached base after being hit by a pitch. That hit chased Bakker from the contest in favor of Woodard. Woodard was effective, retiring the first 10 batters he faced.
A two-RBI double by catcher Chris Iannetta in the bottom of the fifth inning allowed the Tar Heels to cut the lead to 5-3. Iannetta's hit scored both Bryan Steed, who led off the inning with a double and Cook, who drew a one-out walk from Hurry. North Carolina added another run in the bottom of the seventh inning, when Marshall Hubbard's sacrifice fly to center field scored Mangum, who reached base after being hit by a pitch and advanced on a balk and a sacrifice bunt by Iannetta, making the score 5-4.
With his seventh inning sac fly, Hubbard needs just one RBI to tie the Carolina single-season record of 81. Mangum pushed his season-best hitting streak to 11 games against the Chants.
North Carolina advances to face the winner of tonight's second game between South Carolina and The Citadel at 3 p.m., on Saturday, while Coastal Carolina will await that loser of that contest at 11 a.m.
 North Carolina's Mike Daniel (38) scores the winning run to defeat Coastal Carolina 6-5 during the NCAA Division I baseball regional Friday, June 4, 2004, at Sarge Frye Field in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)
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