University of North Carolina Athletics
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Duke
Miller Pitches No. 10 Carolina Past Duke, 10-1
April 22, 2005 | Baseball
April 22, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Sophomore lefty Andrew Miller struck out nine over seven innings, and No. 10 North Carolina (31-8-1, 12-4-1 ACC) broke open a tight game with eight runs over the sixth and seventh in a 10-1 victory over Duke (12-28, 3-16 ACC) Friday in game one of an Atlantic Coast Conference series at a rainy Boshamer Stadium.
With one more win in the series, the Tar Heels can secure one point towards the Carlyle Cup, the all-sports competition between Carolina and Duke.
Miller (8-1) allowed just one run on five hits and four walks. He used the strikeout to work out of jams in the fourth and fifth innings and retired the final five batters he faced. Miller, who is now 3-0 in his career versus Duke, has 78 strikeouts in 67.2 innings this season. Freshman Andrew Carignan followed with two shutout innings of relief.
Senior second baseman Greg Mangum went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI to jumpstart the Tar Heels¹ 12-hit attack. Outfielder Seth Williams extended his career-best hitting streak to seven games with a 2-for-5 effort, and designated hitter Matt Ellington also went 2-for-5 for his fifth straight multi-hit game. Williams also scored twice on the night.
Freshman shortstop Josh Horton added two hits to go with two runs scored and an RBI, while classmate Chad Flack drove in two with his ninth home run of the season. Sophomore outfielder Jay Cox also plated two with a sixth-inning double.
Duke starter Greg Burke (5-6) went six innings and allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and one walk. He struck out seven. Blue Devils¹ left fielder Javier Socorro led the offense with two hits on the night.
The Tar Heels took a 1-0 lead in the first after Mangum doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on a groundout by Ellington, who now leads Carolina with 41 RBI.
Two innings later Mangum came around to score the Tar Heels¹ second run of the night on a dribbler back to the mound off the bat of left fielder Mike Daniel. Mangum started the rally with a walk and moved over to third after first baseman Justin Webb was hit by a pitch and Ellington reached on an infield single.
Miller faced the minimum through three, but Duke scratched out a run in the fourth to cut the lead in half. Socorro led off the inning with a single to center and later came home on a single through the left side by right fielder Cody Wheeler. The Blue Devils had the bases loaded with just one out, but Miller buckled down to strike out the final two batters of the inning. Duke also left runners at second and third in the fifth with Miller getting out of the inning with his seventh strikeout.
Highlighted by the two-run double to right by Cox, Carolina tacked on three in the sixth to take a 5-1 lead. Williams scored from third on Cox¹s hit, and Horton raced home from first as Wheeler slipped on the play and could not make a throw back into the infield. Corey Whiting came on the replace Wheeler following the play. Cox then scored the third run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Mangum.
The Tar Heels added five in the seventh to put the game away. Flack drove in the first two with his homer, a deep shot well over the screen in center field. Horton and center fielder Chase Younts followed with RBI singles, and Mangum drove in his second run of the night on a groundout. With Flack¹s home run, the Tar Heels now have 12 round-trippers in their last six games.
The series continues at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Sophomore right-hander Robert Woodard will start Saturday, with Daniel Bard set to go Sunday for the Tar Heels.
