University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Wake Forest
No. 10 Carolina Completes Sweep of Wake Forest
March 26, 2005 | Baseball
March 26, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 10 North Carolina got a strong start from sophomore Daniel Bard in a 9-1 game one victory and followed with a six-run first inning and a seven-run seventh in a 14-5 win in the nightcap for a doubleheader sweep of Wake Forest Saturday at Boshamer Stadium. The wins gave the Tar Heels (20-5, 5-2 ACC) their second consecutive three-game sweep of the Deacons (10-15, 4-8 ACC) and pushed their home start to 18-0, the second-best mark in school history.
At the plate, freshman third baseman Reid Fronk homered and drove in a team-high four runs on the day, while junior outfielder Mike Daniel had a combined five hits, including three doubles in the second game. Designated hitter Matt Ellington also added four hits, including a homer, as Carolina totaled 23 runs on 29 hits for the day. Seven different Tar Heels combined for at least three hits each in the doubleheader.
In game one, Bard (4-2) allowed a first inning homer and kept Wake off the scoreboard for the next six, as he went seven innings and allowed just one run on five hits and four walks. He struck out seven and hit four batters. Closer Matt Danford came on with two on and no out in the eighth but worked out of the jam with the help of Carolina's season-high fourth double play of the first game. He then tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his fifth save.
In the nightcap, starter Robert Woodard (1-0) went six innings, scattering six hits and two walks en route to his first win of the season. He gave up two earned runs and struck out four. Relievers Bryan Phillips, Adam Kalkhof and Andrew Carignan worked the final three innings.
In game one, the Tar Heels were led by right fielder Jay Cox, who was 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Mangum, and shortstop Josh Horton each added two hits. Fronk helped put Wake Forest away in the eighth with his first career home run.
Carolina jumped out quickly in the second game with a six-run first inning, capped by a three-run home run by first baseman Matt Spencer. Ellington also homered in the opening frame en route to three hits in game two, while Daniel went 4-for-5 with two RBI, and Fronk and Mangum each plated two runs.
In the first game of the day, the Deacs went up 1-0 in the first on a J.B Tucker solo homer, but Carolina claimed a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning on a two-run single by Cox. The hit through the right side scored Ellington, who walked, and Daniel, who singled and took second on a Wake Forest error.
Carolina added two runs in the fourth to claim a 4-1 lead. After singling to lead off the inning, Cox scored the first run of the frame when catcher Benji Johnson reached on a fielder's choice, and shortstop Josh Horton was safe at second on the second Demon Deacon error. Johnson eventually came around to score after center fielder Chase Younts was hit by a pitch, and Mangum roped an RBI single to center.
The Tar Heels put the game away in the eighth with five runs, highlighted by Fronk's two-run homer. His blast to right center scored pinch runner Craig Corrado, who came on for Cox after he singled for his third hit of the first game. Senior Justin Webb drove in a run with a single, and Carolina also added runs on a wild pitch and an error.
The Deacons' Charlie Mellies (2-3) took the loss after allowing six runs (four earned) on 10 hits over 7.1 innings. Tucker led Wake Forest in game one with a 3-for-4 showing at the plate.
Carolina carried the momentum into game two with the six first inning runs, highlighted by Spencer's homer. With two outs, Ellington started the scoring with a solo homer, his fourth of the season, to right. Back-to-back doubles from center fielder Seth Williams and Daniel plated the second run, before Fronk singled to right to give the Tar Heels a 3-0 lead. Spencer followed with his second home run of the season to close out the first inning scoring.
After the Tar Heels added a run in the second, the teams were scoreless until Wake Forest got on the board with two in the fifth and two more in the sixth. The Demon Deacons' first run scored on an RBI groundout by Tucker, and first baseman Ryder Mathias followed with an RBI double. Two unearned runs in the sixth cut the Carolina lead to 7-4. Wake threatened to cut more off the lead in seventh with two on and nobody out, but the Tar Heels turned their sixth double play of the day to help Phillips get out of the inning.
In the seventh, Carolina scored tallied single-inning season highs of seven runs on seven hits. Daniel led off the inning with his first of two doubles in the inning, and after a Webb single, Fronk singled through the right side for the first run of the frame. With two outs, Mangum then doubled down the left field line to score two. Following an Ellington RBI single. Younts followed with a triple down the right field line for two more. Daniel closed out the scoring with a run-scoring double, his second of the inning and third of the game.
Wake Forest starter Matt Hammond (1-5) took the loss in game two after allowing seven runs on eight hits in just 3.2 innings. He walked one and fanned three. Four relievers combined to work the final 5.1 innings. Four Deacons had two hits in the second game.
Carolina returns to action against Winthrop Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium.
