University of North Carolina Athletics
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Virginia
No. 9 Tar Heels Clip Cavs in 14 Innings, 8-7
April 2, 2005 | Baseball
April 2, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Sophomore right fielder Jay Cox had the game-tying sacrifice fly in the ninth inning and game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 14th to lift No. 9 North Carolina (22-5, 6-2 ACC) to an 8-7 win over Virginia (19-7, 4-4 ACC) Friday in the opening tilt of a three-game series at Boshamer Stadium. The 14-inning win marked the Tar Heels longest outing since 1996 and improved their record at home to 20-0 this season.
Cox ended the four-hour, 40-minute game with a single up the middle to score designated hitter Matt Ellington, who led off the inning with a single up the middle. Following a walk to Ross Cook, Cox delivered the game-winner off UVa reliever Robert Poutier (1-1) and lifted the Tar Heels to their seventh straight victory.
Reliever Jonathan Hovis (3-0) picked up the win after working 3.1 scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and three walks and fanned four. Virginia had the bases loaded with just one out in the top of the 13th, but Hovis buckled down to strikeout the final two batters of the inning to keep the Wahoos off the board. Hovis also stranded two runners in the top of the 14th setting up Cox's heroics. Sophomore Robert Woodard was also solid in relief, allowing just two hits and two unearned runs over 5.2 innings. He struck out five.
Carolina starter Andrew Miller did not figure in the decision, as he allowed a season-high five runs (four earned) on six hits, four walks and a career-high seven hit batters. He went five innings and struck out two.
Senior catcher Justin Webb was 4-for-7 at the plate with a two-run home run, and freshman first baseman Chad Flack was 3-for-6 with a homer. Senior second baseman Greg Mangum went 2-for-6 with three runs scored to extend his season-best hitting streak to 10 games. Left fielder Mike Daniel also added two hits, and Cox was 1-for-5 on the night with two RBI.
Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman went 5-for-6 with three runs scored for Virginia, which stranded 18 runners on base.
The seesaw battle began in the first, as Virginia took a 2-0 lead courtesy of RBI singles by Zimmerman and catcher Scott Headd. But the Tar Heels responded with two homers to claim a 3-2 lead after two. Webb tied the score at two in the first with a two-run shot to left, and Flack gave Carolina a one-run advantage with a solo homer to straightaway center field in the second. Webb's homer, his fifth of the season and third in eight ACC games, scored Mangum, who led off the game with a single through the right side. Flack's second inning shot was his fourth of the season and second in the last two games.
The Cavaliers tied the score in third and added two in the fifth to take a 5-3 lead. Zimmerman singled and came around to score when Miller hit three consecutive Virginia batters in the third. Two innings later, designated hitter Ryan Hudson singled to drive in Zimmerman, who walked to lead off the inning. A Josh Horton fielding error followed, allowing Headd to score the second run of the fifth.
As it did in the first, Carolina answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the score at five. Center fielder Seth Williams came through with a two-out, bases-loaded single to drive in Mangum, who reached on a lead off walk, and Ellington, who reached on an error by Virginia shortstop Mike Campagna. Williams, who hit a grand slam Tuesday, has six RBI over the past two games.
The teams continued to trade the lead into the seventh, as Virginia added two more to take a 7-5 advantage. After pinch hitter Josh Darby was hit by a pitch, Campagna reached on Horton's second error of the night and both runners moved up on a wild pitch, center fielder Tim Henry singled through the right side to drive in both runs with two out.
Cook got one of the runs back for the Tar Heels in the bottom of the inning with a pinch-hit RBI single to trim the lead to 7-6. Webb led off the inning with his third hit of the night, moved to second on an Ellington groundout and then scored on Cook's single through the right side. After Cook's single got the Tar Heels within a run, Cox sent the game into extra innings with a sacrifice fly in the ninth. Mangum led off with a single and came around to score his third run of the night to tie the game at seven.
Virginia starter Matt Avery went six innings and allowed six runs (four earned) on nine hits and two walks. He fanned six.
The game marked the longest for the Tar Heels since a 14-inning, 8-7 win over Rider on March 10, 1996.
The series continues at 1 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Tomorrow's game will be televised on Fox Sports Net South.
