University of North Carolina Athletics
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Maryland
No. 6 Carolina Completes Sweep of Maryland, 3-2
April 10, 2005 | Baseball
April 10, 2005
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Freshman first baseman Chad Flack broke a 2-2 tie with a solo home run in the sixth, and closer Matt Danford worked 3.1 scoreless innings of relief to lead No. 6 North Carolina to a 3-2 win and a series sweep of Maryland Sunday at Shipley Field. The Tar Heels have now swept three straight conference opponents for the first time since the Atlantic Coast Conference went to its current three-game format in 1990.
Carolina is now 27-6 overall and 11-2 in the ACC, while Maryland falls to 14-20 overall and 4-14 in conference action.
The reigning ACC Player of the Week, Flack went 3-for-4 on the day for his fifth straight multi-hit game. His sixth inning solo shot gave the Tar Heels the 3-2 lead, and he added singles in the first and eighth innings. Flack has now hit safely in eight straight games, a season best.
Sophomore right-hander Robert Woodard (2-0) picked up the win in his fifth start of the season. The Charlotte native went 5.2 innings and allowed just two earned runs on five hits and a walk. He stuck out four before giving way to Danford with two on and two out in the sixth. Danford went a season-long 3.1 innings but allowed just one hit and one walk en route to his sixth save of the season. After allowing a leadoff double, he stranded the game-tying run at third base in the ninth.
Senior catcher Justin Webb, who provided the big blow Saturday with a two-run homer, gave the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI double to down the right field line. His hit scored second baseman Greg Mangum, who drew a lead off walk and then moved to second on a throwing error by Maryland starter Brett Cecil.
The Terps evened the score at one in the second on an RBI single by right fielder Matt Maropis. After the hit, the bases were loaded with no outs, but Woodard worked out of the jam with two strikeouts and a fly out to prevent any further damage.
After the teams traded sacrifice flies in the third and fourth innings, Flack's sixth home run of the season gave Carolina a 3-2 lead in the sixth. The shot to left center came off Maryland reliever Justin Hulse, who allowed just two hits over four innings.
Maryland threatened to reclaim the lead in the bottom of the inning, but Carolina center fielder Chase Younts made a sliding, inning-ending catch with the bases loaded to hold the one-run advantage.
Cecil lasted just two-plus innings for Maryland and allowed two runs on three hits and two walks. He was lifted with the bases loaded and no one out in the third. Four relievers combined to work the final seven innings for the Terps.
With Sunday's win, Carolina has won nine straight in ACC play for the first time since the last game of the 2001 season and first eight of '02. The Tar Heels swept Wake Forest and Virginia at home before taking three from the Terps this weekend.
Carolina returns to action Tuesday at home against Davidson at 6 p.m.
