University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Princeton
Williams' Walk-Off Homer Gives No. 9 UNC Doubleheader Sweep of Princeton
March 15, 2005 | Baseball
March 15, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Freshman outfielder Seth Williams hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to lift No. 9-ranked North Carolina (14-3, 1-0 ACC) to a 6-5 victory and a doubleheader sweep of Princeton (0-8) Tuesday at Boshamer Stadium. Junior outfielder Mike Daniel had six hits on the day and went 4-for-4 with three runs batted in to lead the Tar Heels to a 12-3 win in game one versus the Tigers.
Williams' game-winning shot to left field in the second game came after Princeton rallied from a 5-0 deficit to tie the game in the top of the ninth. Following three runs in the eighth, the Tigers got a pinch-hit, two-run home run from Ryan Eldridge to send the game to the bottom of the ninth. Williams then led off the Tar Heel half of the inning with his third home run of the season on a 1-0 pitch from Tiger reliever Adam Balkan, who took the loss. Carolina closer Matt Danford (2-1) picked up the win despite allowing the game-tying home run.
Freshman right-hander Andy Gale made the game two start for the Tar Heels in a staff outing and allowed just one hit and one walk over four innings in his collegiate debut. Five relievers, including lefty Matt Spencer, who also made his first appearance, combined to work the final five innings and allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits. Daniel, designated hitter Matt Ellington and shortstop Josh Horton each had two hits to lead the Tar Heel offense in game two. Before striking out in his final two at bats in the second game, Daniel had reached base 11 straight times on 10 hits and one walk in the series.
Daniel also led Carolina in the first game with his second consecutive four-hit effort. He scored two runs and had three RBI. Four other Tar Heels recorded multi-hit games in the first game of the day, as third baseman Reid Fronk was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, and right fielder Jay Cox and Spencer, who started at first base, each went 2-for-5. Spencer hit his first career home run in the seventh inning and also added a double. Eight different Tar Heels drove in runs in the game one victory, which was the Tar Heels' fourth consecutive game with 10 or more runs.
Junior lefty Adam Kalkhof (2-0) picked up the win in the first game, as he allowed three runs on six hits and a walk over 5.1 innings. Kalkhof struck out a season-best six batters and retired the side in order in the third and fourth innings. Senior Bryan Phillips came on in relief in the sixth and worked 2.2 scoreless innings before Rob Wooten closed with a scoreless ninth.
In the first half of the doubleheader, the Tar Heels jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first after the first three batters walked, and Daniel followed with a two-run single to right. The Princeton right fielder then misplayed the ball, allowing the third run to score on the play and Daniel to take second. He later scored on a single up the middle by Cox.
Following a second inning RBI single from Fronk, Carolina scored three in third to claim an 8-0 lead. Shortstop Craig Corrado drove in one run with a single through the left side, and two Tiger errors contributed to the Tar Heel rally. Carolina tacked on a run in the fourth when Daniel, who led off with a walk, came home on a sacrifice fly to center by catcher Benji Johnson for his first collegiate RBI.
Carolina put its final three runs on the board in the seventh as Spencer led off the frame with his solo homer, and Ellington followed with a run-scoring single. Daniel drove in the final run of game one with a double for his fourth hit of the opening tilt.
Game one Princeton starter Christian Staehely went three innings and allowed eight runs (six earned) on eight hits and four walks. He struck out two. Chad Tounge went four innings in relief, and Reid Peyton fanned two in the ninth for the Tigers. Catcher Zach Wendkos had two hits in game one, and first baseman Stephen Wendell hit a two-run homer to lead the Princeton offense.
In the second game of the day, Carolina scored in the first on an RBI double to left by Ellington and added three in the third to take a 4-0 lead. Daniel and Fronk drove in the first two runs of the frame with doubles to left center, and first baseman Chad Flack scored on a wild pitch after walking and moving to third on Fronk's double.
The fifth run for Carolina scored in the fifth when Williams scored on an errant throw by the Princeton catcher after swiping third base on the front end of a double steal.
Trailing 5-0 after seven innings, Princeton scored three runs on a pair of RBI groundouts and a run-scoring single by Balkan. In the ninth, the Tigers' Paul Ackerman reached on a throwing error by Horton, and Eldridge followed two outs with a long shot to deep right center off Danford to tie the game before Williams gave Carolina its fifth straight win with his solo homer in the ninth.
Tuesday's games marked the Tar Heels' first since playing two on May 16, 2003 at Virginia.
Carolina returns to Atlantic Coast Conference action this weekend when it travels to Clemson for a three-game set beginning Friday at 7:15 p.m. Saturday's 4 p.m. game will be broadcast by C-SET (Time Warner Digital Cable Channel 140 in Chapel Hill), and the series wraps up at 2 p.m. Sunday.
