University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Miami
No. 9 Miami Downs No. 7 Tar Heels, 18-9
April 17, 2005 | Baseball
April 16, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Miami third baseman Ryan Braun snapped a 9-9 tie with a two-run homer in the seventh, and the Hurricanes (29-9, 13-4 ACC) added seven runs in the ninth for an 18-9 victory over No. 7 North Carolina (28-8,11-4 ACC) in front of a season-high 2,552 fans Saturday at Boshamer Stadium. The win secured the series for Miami, which had lost five of the last seven against Carolina entering the weekend.
The game was wild early as the teams combined for 18 runs in the first five frames, and both starting pitchers were lifted after just 1.2 innings. Runs crossed the plate in every half inning over this stretch with the exception of the Miami half of the fourth. The sixth inning was the first scoreless frame of the night, but Braun¹s 11th home run of the season put Miami back in the scoring column in the seventh. The Hurricanes added seven in the ninth to put the game away.
Carolina left 13 men on base and committed a season high six errors, including two in the ninth. The Tar Heels have committed 10 errors in the series after making just one miscue over the previous four games.
Braun went 2-for-5 with four runs batted in and three runs scored, while left fielder Jon Jay went 3-for-6 with five RBI. Designated hitter Alex Garabedian also added three hits for the Hurricanes.
Carolina matched Miami¹s 16 hits, led by second baseman Greg Mangum and designated hitter Matt Ellington, who each had three on the night. First baseman Chad Flack had two hits, including a three-run home run, and a career-best four RBI to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. He also has eight straight multi-hit efforts. Ellington and freshman catcher Benji Johnson each added solo home runs, and freshman right fielder Seth Williams added two hits.
Miami reliever Andrew Lane (2-0) picked up the win with three scoreless innings. Closer Chris Perez picked up his first save after entering a two-run game in the eighth. Carolina reliever Jonathan Hovis (3-1) took the loss after allowing nine runs, just three of which were earned, over 4.2 innings. He stuck out four and walked two.
In a start that mirrored Friday¹s opening inning, Miami took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Tar Heels battled back in the bottom of the frame to take a 3-2 lead on Flack¹s three-run homer. Mangum led off with a single up the middle and took third when Ellington reached on an error. Both runners came home when Flack hammered a 3-2 pitch into the net in left center for his seventh homer of the season.
But just as they did in game one of the series, the Hurricanes came right back with four runs in the top of the second and chased Carolina starter Daniel Bard from the game after just 1.2 innings. After an RBI single by Paco Figueroa, Jay cleared the bases with a triple to right center to push the lead to 6-3.
The Tar Heels got two runs back in the bottom of the inning, when Flack drew a bases-loaded walk for his fourth RBI of the night, and left fielder Jay Cox followed with a sacrifice fly. But Miami responded with two in the top of the third to push the lead back to three runs. Roger Tomas and Garabedian both had RBI hits in the inning.
Carolina then used the long ball chip away at the Miami lead. Solo shots by Johnson in the third and Ellington the fourth cut the Miami lead to one before shortstop Josh Horton tied the game at eight with a single to center, which drove in Cox, who doubled.
After the Hurricanes reclaimed the lead in the top of the fifth on the Tar Heels third error of the night, Ellington tied the game once again with a sac fly to center for his second RBI.
Miami reclaimed the lead in the seventh on Braun¹s two-run homer, which after a fielding error by third baseman Justin Webb making both runs were unearned.
The Hurricanes, who also scored seven in the sixth inning Friday, put the game away with the seven-run ninth. Jay and Braun both doubled in the inning and drove in the first three runs of the frame. Patrick Feeney tripled home the final two runs of the night for Miami.
Bard and allowed six runs (five earned) on four hits and three walks. He struck out two before Robert Woodard came on with two out in the second. Miami¹s Brandon Camardese gave up five runs (four earned) on five hits and three walks. Woodard tossed 2.2 strong innings of relief for the Tar Heels, allowing two earned runs on five hits.
The series concludes with a 1 p.m. Sunday game, which will be tape-delayed on ESPNU at 4 p.m.
