University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
UNC Wilmington
Miller Leads No. 4 Tar Heels to 5-3 Win over UNCW
February 22, 2005 | Baseball
Feb. 22, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Sophomore preseason All-America Andrew Miller allowed just three hits over six innings, and sophomore outfielder Jay Cox went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs to lead No. 4 North Carolina (5-0) to a 5-3 victory over UNC Wilmington (5-5) Tuesday at Boshamer Stadium.
Miller (2-0) fanned six over six-plus innings en route to his second win in as many starts. He gave up just three hits and one walk and has allowed just one unearned run over 12.2 innings this season. Redshirt sophomore Matt Danford closed his fourth game of the season and picked up his second save. He worked 1.1 scoreless innings and entered the game with the tying run on deck in the eighth.
Cox had two of the Tar Heels' four hits and extended his hitting streak to a career-best six games dating back to last season. He was 2-for-4 on the day with two runs batted in and his second career triple. Cox now has a team-best six RBI on the season.
He gave the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead in the third with a single to left center to drive in center fielder Chase Younts, who singled up the middle to lead off the inning. Younts later stole second and then scored on Cox's first hit of the afternoon. Younts has also hit safely in each game this season.
Carolina tacked on two more in the fourth without the benefit of a hit, as shortstop Josh Horton drove in a run with a groundout, and Younts plated one with a sacrifice fly to deep center field. Left fielder Mike Daniel walked, and first baseman Chad Flack was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Third baseman Reid Fronk then bunted both runners into scoring position. Horton hit a grounder back to UNCW starter Jared Sutton, but his throw hit Horton in the back, allowing him to reach safely. Daniel scored on the play, and Flack moved to third and then scored on Younts' sac fly.
Trailing 3-1, Wilmington got on the board in the top of the fifth with an unearned run. First baseman Jonathan Batts reached on a fielder's choice and took third on a single by catcher Chris Hatcher. Batts then scored on a passed ball by Carolina catcher Justin Webb, giving the Seahawks the unearned run.
UNCW squandered a chance to tie the game in the seventh, as the Seahawks had runners on second and third with just one out. Designated hitter Lee McLean hit a grounder to first that Flack fired to Webb at the plate. He then ran left fielder Tim Preston back to third, tagged him out and also tagged out Batts, who had already advanced to third from second.
After the Seahawks blunder in the top of the inning, the Tar Heels added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh. After Webb singled to start the rally, Cox tripled to straightaway center for a 4-1 UNC lead. Designated hitter Matt Ellington followed with a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Cox and give the Tar Heels the 5-1 advantage.
Third baseman Matt Poulk trimmed the lead to 5-3 with a two-run single in the eighth that halted the Tar Heels streak without allowing an earned run at 43.2 innings. Infield hits by Raynor and second baseman Kenny Smith but two on and both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch from UNC reliever Jonathan Hovis. Poulk then singled to center off Danford to drive in both Raynor and Smith.
Raynor was 2-for-2 with a run scored to lead UNCW at the plate. Sutton (0-1) took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits in 3.2 innings. Three Seahawk relievers combined to allow just two hits over the final 4.1 innings.
Carolina returns to action this weekend against Birmingham Southern for a three-game series. The Tar Heels and Panthers will play at 3 p.m. Friday, 1:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
