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No. 11 FSU Takes 6-5 Walk-Off Win Over No. 8 UNC
May 14, 2005 | Baseball
May 14, 2005
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Third baseman Ryne Malone hit a three-run walk-off home run to lift No. 11 Florida State (45-13, 17-9 ACC) to a 6-5 victory over No. 8 North Carolina (37-13-1, 15-8-1 ACC) Saturday at Dick Howser Stadium. The Seminoles' ninth-straight victory clinches the series win over the Tar Heels, who have now lost three straight for the second time this season.
Malone, who also homered and had three hits Friday, went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and five RBI on the day. Five of his 18 career home runs have come against Carolina, which lost a game it led after the seventh for the first time this season. Malone also had a two-run triple in the third.
Down to its final strike in the ninth, FSU got back-to-back singles from second baseman Tony Thomas, Jr. and center fielder Shane Robinson to put the tying runs on base for Malone, who then hammered a 1-2 pitch from junior righty Jonathan Hovis (5-4) over the right field fence for the walk-off win. Hovis, who leads the Tar Heels with 23 appearances, has taken a loss in three of his last four outings.
FSU reliever Kevin Lynch (9-0) earned the win after working a scoreless ninth. Starter Mark Sauls went 6.2 innings and allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks. In addition to Malone's three hits, Robinson and right fielder Jack Rye each added two hits for the Seminoles.
Carolina starter Robert Woodard went 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on six hits and a career-high four walks. He struck out four and allowed three earned runs - all in the third inning. He gave up just two hits after the third and retired nine of the last 12 batters he faced.
Hovis then came on in the seventh and retired seven of the first eight batters he faced and was one strike away from his fifth save in ACC action before Thomas reached on an infield single to start the game-winning Seminole rally.
Freshman shortstop Josh Horton was 2-for-4 with one run scored to lead the Tar Heels at the plate. He also had two hits Friday and has multi-hit games in five of the last six. Horton has also hit safely in nine of his last 10. Right fielder Jay Cox had a two-run double, and third baseman Reid Fronk added an RBI single for Carolina.
Thanks Cox's double in the opening inning, the Tar Heels scored first for the second straight day. Horton and designated hitter Matt Ellington started the rally with back-to-back singles, and Cox followed with a double off the wall in left to drive in both runs. Cox, who had an RBI bunt single in the first inning Friday, has now hit safely in a career-best 11 straight games.
The Seminoles took their first lead of the day with three runs in the third. Woodard, who had issued only 10 walks all season, put two runners on base, and Malone drove them both in with a triple down the right field line. With the game tied at two, left fielder Gibbs Chapman singled to right to score Malone.
But the Tar Heels responded with two in the top of the fourth to reclaim the lead. First baseman Chad Flack singled to left to lead off the inning, then stole second and took third on an errant throw by FSU catcher Aaron Cheesman. After left fielder Mike Daniel drew a walk, catcher Justin Webb drove in Flack with an RBI grounder to short. Fronk followed with a single to right to drive in Daniel but was then thrown out at second trying to take an extra base.
Neither team managed to score over the next two innings, but Carolina added an insurance run in the seventh to take a 5-3 lead. Center fielder Chase Younts ripped a two-out double down the right field line and later scored on a fielding error by Malone to give the Tar Heels the two-run cushion.
Hovis set down the side in order in the eighth before FSU rallied for its 13th win in the last 14 games versus the Tar Heels in Tallahassee. The Tar Heels have lost five of their last seven and four of their last five in ACC play. Carolina last dropped three straight at the Keith LeClair Invitational on March 4-6.
Carolina senior second baseman Greg Mangum missed the game due to a hamstring injury, snapping a string of 166 consecutive games played. The last game Mangum did not play for the Tar Heels was a 12-0 win over Ball State on March 10, 2003.
The series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. with Daniel Bard taking the mound for Carolina against Florida State lefty Hunter Jones.
