University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Winthrop
Rookies Slug No. 9 Carolina Past Winthrop, 15-5
March 29, 2005 | Baseball
March 29, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Freshman shortstop Josh Horton went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and four runs scored, and classmates Seth Williams, Matt Spencer and Chad Flack also homered to lead No. 9-ranked North Carolina (21-5) to a 15-5 win over Winthrop (20-7) Tuesday at Boshamer Stadium. The victory was the Tar Heels' sixth straight and improved their home record to 19-0.
The four home runs, which tied a single-game season high for Carolina, were capped by Williams' eighth inning grand slam, which pushed the lead to the final 10-run margin. Horton's two-run shot in the seventh gave Carolina a six-run cushion, and the other two home runs were just as key, as Spencer's gave the Tar Heels a 2-1 advantage in the bottom of the second, and Flack's pushed the Tar Heel lead to 8-4 in the fifth after the Eagles had cut the lead in half in the top of the inning. Williams' homer was his team-high sixth and came in his lone at-bat of the night after he entered as a defensive sub.
Horton, who is riding a career-best five-game hitting streak, opened the game with a pair of infield singles before ripping his second home run of the season over the wall in right center. He reached on a fielder's choice and scored in his other trip to the plate and raised his season average to .388, which ranks second on the squad.
Flack, who pinch hit for Spencer in the fifth against Winthrop lefty Chase Edwards, was 2-for-3 on the night with two RBI. Outfielders Jay Cox and Chase Younts, and second baseman Greg Mangum and third baseman Reid Fronk also added two hits for the Tar Heels, who now have 44 hits in the last three games.
Reliever Adam Kalkhof earned the win to run his record to 3-1. He worked 1.1 innings and allowed one run on one hit and struck out one and walked two. Carolina starter Andy Gale allowed his first runs after working 11 scoreless innings to start the season. He went 4.1 innings and allowed three earned runs on six hits and two walks. Gale struck out two.
Winthrop starter Mike Honce (0-1) allowed six earned runs on seven hits and three walks over 3.1 innings and took the loss. Cape Cod League MVP Daniel Carte led the Eagles with a 3-for-5 night, including two home runs and four RBI.
The lead seesawed back and forth early, until Carolina pulled ahead 6-2 with a three-run fourth. The Tar Heels loaded the bases with no outs, as Horton reached on his second infield single, Spencer walked and Younts was hit by a pitch. Younts was later picked off, but Mangum followed with a double to right field to drive in Horton. Cox then singled up the middle to drive in Spencer, and Mangum scored the final run of the inning on an RBI groundout by designated hitter Matt Ellington.
Following the three-run fourth for the Tar Heels, Carte got Winthrop back in the game with a two-run shot to left in the top of the fifth, his second home run of the game and eighth of the year.
After Carte cut the Carolina lead to 6-4, the Tar Heels answered the bottom of the inning with a two-run shot of their own, the pinch-hit homer from Flack to left field. The two-out rally pushed the lead back to 8-4 and was started by Horton, who reached on a bunt single and scored on Flack's home run, his third of the year. Horton's two-run homer in the seventh, and Williams' first career grand slam in the eighth put the game away for Carolina, which is now 5-2 all-time versus Winthrop.
Carte also provided the early offense for the Eagles with an RBI single in the first and a solo home run in the third that tied the score at two. Prior to Carte's seventh homer of the season, Carolina took a brief 2-1 lead on Spencer's third home run of the year, a rope to right center that scored Horton, who had reached on a fielder's choice. After Winthrop tied it at two, the Tar Heels reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the third inning on a sac fly to center by Mike Daniel, which scored Cox, who singled, stole second and then moved over to third when Ellington reached on an error by Winthrop shortstop Matt Repec.
Carolina's 19 straight wins at Boshamer Stadium to open the season rank as the second-best home start in program history.
Carolina returns to action this weekend with a three-game series at Boshamer Stadium against Virginia. Games are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Saturday's game will be televised in North Carolina on Fox Sports Net South.
