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NC State
Woodard Pitches Carolina Past Pack, 6-3
April 30, 2005 | Baseball
April 30, 2005
RALEIGH, N.C. - Sophomore righty Robert Woodard allowed two hits over 6.2 shutout innings of relief to lead No. 7 North Carolina (36-9-1, 15-5-1 ACC) to a 6-3, 12-inning victory over NC State (31-13, 12-11 ACC) Saturday at Doak Field. The Tar Heels scored three times in the 12th to claim their third come-from-behind win on the week.
Woodard (5-0) entered with one out in the sixth and after allowing two hits in the seventh, he retired 16 of the final 17 batters he faced. He set down 15 straight at one point until hitting a batter with two out in the 12th. Woodard fanned the final batter of the game for his fifth strikeout of the day. With the 6.2 shutout innings, he lowered his season ERA to 2.41. Woodard has now allowed just one run over 10.2 career innings against the Wolfpack.
With the game tied a three against State ace closer Joey Devine, UNC freshman Seth Williams legged out an infield single to start the 12th-inning rally. Outfielder Chase Younts followed with a double down the left field line to put runners at second and third, and shortstop Josh Horton was intentionally walked to load the bases. Third baseman Reid Fronk followed with an RBI walk, and second baseman Greg Mangum was hit by a pitch to drive in the second run of the inning. Devine (4-3) was then lifted in favor of Alan Letchworth, who allowed a sacrifice fly to Justin Webb for the 6-3 final margin.
Horton went 4-for-5 for his third career four-hit effort and tied the game late for the second straight day with an RBI triple in the eighth. Younts added a season-high three hits off the bench and scored two runs. Both Horton and Younts finished a homer short of the cycle. Williams' 12th-inning single extended his career-best hitting streak to 13 games. Designated hitter Matt Ellington and first baseman Chad Flack also chipped in with two hits for the Tar Heels, who outhit NC State, 16-7.
Carolina starter Daniel Bard was sharp for five innings, as he carried a three-hit shutout into the sixth, but he allowed three runs in the inning and was lifted with just one out in the frame. Bard gave up five hits and three walks, while striking out six. NC State starter Branden Knapp allowed two runs on six hits over 4.2 innings. He struck out three and did not walk a batter.
First baseman Aaron Bates and catcher Jake Muyco each had two hits to lead the Pack at the plate. NC State did not record a hit after the seventh inning.
The Tar Heels jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third before the game entered a 59-minute rain delay. Horton and third baseman Kyle Shelton started the rally with back-to-back singles before Mangum bunted to the left side of the mound. Knapp went to retire the lead runner at third on the play, but a bad throw allowed Horton to reach safely and loaded the bases with no outs. Webb and Ellington followed with sacrifice flies to drive in the first two runs of the day.
The Wolfpack got to Bard for the three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he loaded the bases on two hit batters and a walk. After an RBI groundout by right fielder Brian Aragon, left fielder Ryan Pond and Muyco followed with run-scoring base hits to give NC State a 3-2 lead. The runs chased Bard from the game and snapped a string of 16 straight scoreless innings by the Charlotte native. Woodard came on to get an inning-ending double play and get out of the frame without further damage.
The Tar Heels finally got back in the scoring column in the eighth thanks to Horton's RBI triple. The hit down the right field line scored Younts from first, who drew two-out walk to extend the inning. Horton also tied Friday's game in the ninth with a two-run double.
After Carolina left a runner on in the top of the ninth, Woodard struck out the side in the bottom of the inning to send the game to extra innings. The Tar Heels threatened in the top of the 10th when Younts and Horton singled to put runners on the corners, but State left fielder Ryan Johnson made a diving catch on a liner by Fronk to end the inning. The Tar Heels also had two hits in the 11th but could not score setting up the 12th-inning heroics.
The series concludes Sunday with a 1 p.m. game that will be televised by C-SET.
