University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
College of Charleston
Ellington, Williams Slug No. 11 Tar Heels Past Cougars
March 9, 2005 | Baseball
March 9, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Designated hitter Matt Ellington and right fielder Seth Williams each hit three-run home runs as the North Carolina offense pounded out 11 hits to lead the 11th-ranked Tar Heels (10-3) to a 12-7 victory over No. 20 College of Charleston (10-3) Wednesday at Boshamer Stadium. The 12 runs marked the second-highest total of the season for Carolina, which snapped a three-game losing skid and improved to 10-0 at home this season.
Williams went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three runs batted, all highs for the freshman's young career. Ellington was 2-for-5 and drove in four runs on the day, while senior Justin Webb also had two hits and scored two runs, while also driving in a run. The 11 hits marked the fourth double-digit hit day at the plate for the Tar Heels and first in five games. The 12 runs scored were the most since a 17-0 win over Seton Hall on February 18.
One of seven pitchers used on the day, Carolina starter Adam Kalkhof went two innings on a predetermined staff outing and allowed one run on two hits. He struck out three and has not allowed a walk in 12.1 innings this season. Freshman Tyler Trice came on in the third to make his first collegiate appearance and went 1.1 innings and allowed two unearned runs. Senior Bryan Phillips, the fourth pitcher of the day, worked 1.1 scoreless innings to earn his first win of the season and improve to 1-1. Only one of the Cougars' seven runs was earned, as the Tar Heels committed four errors on the day.
After finding itself down 1-0 entering the bottom of the first, Carolina equaled its run total from last weekend's Keith LeClair Classic to take a 4-1 lead. Three straight hits put the Tar Heels up 1-0, as senior second baseman Greg Mangum led off with a double to center field, and Webb and Ellington followed with back-to-back singles to right. After Ellington picked up his ninth RBI of the season, Mangum scored as first baseman Chad Flack grounded into a fielder's choice to give the Tar Heels a 2-0 lead. The final two runs of inning scored when catcher Benji Johnson hit a ball to deep left center that Cougar left fielder Brett Anderson chased down but dropped at the wall, allowing Flack and Williams to score.
The Cougars reclaimed the lead in the fourth with four unearned runs, three of which came on a homer to left by shortstop Oliver Marmol with two out. Designated hitter Matt Kirkpatrick drove in the first run with an RBI groundout, and four batters later Marmol followed with his first homer of the season off Carolina reliever Rob Wooten for a 5-4 Cougar lead.
Thanks to Ellington's three-run shot, the Tar Heels quickly reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning. Center fielder Blair Waggett and Webb walked before Ellington roped his team-best third homer of the season to left center, giving Carolina a 7-5 advantage after four. The Tar Heels pushed the lead to 8-5 in the fifth when Mike Daniel came though with a pinch hit double to right to score Williams, who singled through the left side and took second on a Johnson groundout.
Williams tacked three more runs on the board in the sixth with his first career home run and third hit of the day. The three-run homer to left scored Flack and left fielder Jay Cox, who were both walked by C of C reliever Josh McLaughlin, who entered to start the inning.
The Cougars trimmed the lead to 11-7 with two more unearned runs off UNC reliever Jonathan Hovis in the seventh. Pinch hitter Shawn Williams plated the first run with a single up the middle, and catcher Brian Hastings drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in the second.
Webb then drove in the 12th and final run of the day for the Tar Heels with a single that hit the Cougar pitcher and bounded into right center, allowing Mangum, who reached on an error, to score all the way from second.
College of Charleston got on the board in the first when center fielder Brett Gardner and second baseman Chris Campbell singled to put runners on the corners. Gardner then scored from third when Campbell attempted to steal second but got caught in a rundown between first and second long enough for the run to come home.
Four Cougars had multi-hit games, led by first baseman D.J. Wabick, who was 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Starter Zach Piccola (1-1) took the loss after allowing seven runs (five earned) on six hits. Four other pitchers worked in the game for Charleston.
Carolina returns to action this weekend, as it travels to Blacksburg, Va., to open ACC play versus Virginia Tech. Games are set for 3 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
