University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Duke
No. 10 Tar Heels Down Devils, 5-2
April 23, 2005 | Baseball
April 23, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina right-handers Robert Woodard and Jonathan Hovis combined on a six-hitter, and freshman first baseman Chad Flack drove in three runs to lead the 10th-ranked Tar Heels (32-8-1, 13-4-1 ACC) to a 5-2 victory over Duke (12-29, 3-17 ACC) Saturday at Boshamer Stadium. With the win, Carolina clinches the series win over the Blue Devils and a point towards the Carlyle Cup, the all-sports competition between UNC and Duke.
Woodard, who retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced, equaled his career-long outing with seven innings and tied a career best with seven strikeouts. Woodard (4-0) allowed two runs on just five hits and one walk and gave up just one hit after the third inning. Hovis struck out four of the seven batters he faced over the final two innings to earn his fourth save of the season.
Flack went 2-for-3 and drove in two with a third inning double and came through with his third RBI on an eighth inning single. Seniors Justin Webb and Ross Cook each added two hits on the afternoon.
Freshman right fielder Seth Williams drove in the Tar Heels' final run of the day with a solo home run in the eighth, his 11th of the season, which ties the Carolina freshman homer record set by Drex Roberts in 1981. He has hit safely in each of last seven games, while designated hitter Matt Ellington tripled to extend his hitting streak to eight games.
With the exception of the third inning, Blue Devil starter David Torcise (2-5) held the Tar Heel bats in check for much of the day. He went a career-long 7.1 innings and allowed four runs, just one of which was earned. Torcise scattered seven hits and one walk, while striking out four. Catcher Bryan Smith had two hits for Duke at the plate.
The Blue Devils took their first lead of the series with two runs in the top of the third. Second baseman Adam Murray led off the inning with a bunt single and then scored on an RBI triple down the right field line by designated hitter Corey Whiting. Whiting then scored the Blue Devils' second run on an RBI groundout by first baseman John Berger.
In the bottom of the inning, the Tar Heels rallied for three runs capped by Flack's two-run double. Third baseman Kyle Shelton led off the inning with a single, and center fielder Chase Younts reached on an error before Webb drove in the first run of the frame with a single through the left side for his second hit of the day. Two batters later Flack ripped his double down the left field line to give Carolina its first lead at 3-2. All three runs were unearned following the first of two Duke errors in the game.
After the teams combined for five runs in the third, neither team managed to score until Carolina added a pair of insurance runs in the eight to take a 5-2 lead. Ellington tripled and then scored on the RBI single for Flack. Williams followed with his solo home run to left for the final three-run margin.
With the two wins this weekend, Carolina is now 11-1 in its last 12 meetings with Duke. The Tar Heels now lead the Carlyle Cup, 14-9, with points still to be decided in men's and women's outdoor track and field and women's rowing.
The game was delayed 38 minutes after the fourth inning due to lightening and rain.
The series concludes at 1:30 p.m. Sunday with sophomore right-hander Daniel Bard set to take the mound for the Tar Heels.
