University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Virginia
No. 9 Tar Heels Complete Sweep of Cavaliers
April 3, 2005 | Baseball
April 3, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Designated hitter Matt Ellington came through with a two-out, game-winning single in the bottom of the 11th inning to give ninth-ranked North Carolina (24-5, 8-2 ACC) a 3-2 victory over Virginia (19-9, 4-6 ACC) and a sweep of the three-game series Sunday at Boshamer Stadium. The win also secured a school record home start for the Tar Heels, who are now 22-0 in Chapel Hill this season.
Ellington, who also singled and scored the game-tying run in the 10th, drove in freshman Kyle Shelton, who started the 11th inning rally with a single up the middle. Shelton advanced to third on a pair of groundouts and scored on Ellington's game-winning single to right off UVa reliever Casey Lambert. The win was the ninth in a row for the Tar Heels, who have now swept conference series with Virginia and Wake Forest on back-to-back weekends.
Carolina trailed 2-1 after a Matt Street solo home run in the top of the 10th, but responded in the bottom of the inning with a run to tie it at two. After back-to-back singles by Ellington and first baseman Chad Flack, right fielder Jay Cox singled past third base to drive in Ellington and send the game to the 11th, where Ellington would win it.
Carolina closer Matt Danford earned the win to improve to 3-1. He went two innings and allowed two hits, including Street's home run. He walked two and struck out two. Lambert (1-1) took the loss for Virginia.
Both starters were effective but neither figured into the decision as teams went to extra innings for the second time in the series. Virginia's Jeff Kamrath went 8.1 innings and allowed one run on just two hits and no walks. He struck out six and retired 17 in a row until Carolina third baseman Reid Fronk singled to lead off the ninth. Tar Heel lefty Adam Kalkhof also took a no-decision but went 6.2 strong innings. He allowed just one run on six hits and a walk and tied a season high with five strikeouts.
Sophomore reliever Robert Woodard make his second impressive relief appearance of the series, as he allowed just one hit in 2.1 scoreless innings. With 5.2 innings of relief Friday, Woodard allowed just three hits and no earned runs over eight innings versus Virginia.
Ellington and Flack each had two hits to lead the Tar Heels at the plate, while Street and Ryan Zimmerman each had two hits for the Cavaliers. Cox drove in two runs Sunday and had four RBI in the series.
Carolina scored first for the first time over the weekend as it manufactured a run in the second to take an early 1-0 lead. Flack led off the inning with a single to left, stole second and then moved to third on a Mike Daniel groundout to the right side before Cox lofted a fly ball to left to drive in the game's first run.
Kalkhof held Virginia without a hit until Zimmerman led off the fourth with a single and came around to score the game-tying run. After Zimmerman stole second, first baseman Sean Doolittle ripped a double to right to send him home and knot the game at one. The Wahoos threatened in the fifth with two on and no out, but Kalkhof picked up three straight outs, including a called strikeout of Zimmerman, to get out of the inning without any damage.
After Kalkhof's strong outing, Woodard came on with two on and two out in the seventh and worked out of yet another jam. The Cavaliers loaded the bases against Woodard when Street's grounder to short grazed an umpire, giving him a single by rule. Woodard then buckled down and won an intense battle with Zimmerman, getting him to line out to right to end the threat.
Carolina returns to action Wednesday against Elon at 6 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium.
