University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Hope to End Skid against East Carolina Tuesday
May 16, 2005 | Baseball
May 16, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina (37-14-1) hopes to put an end to its longest losing streak since 2001 Tuesday when it hosts East Carolina (32-20) at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels, who were swept at Florida State last weekend, have lost four straight and have not dropped five in a row since 1997.
Carolina posted an 18-6 win at ECU in teams' first meeting this season on April 19. The Tar Heels, who were was coming off a series loss to Miami over the previous weekend, exploded for season-bests of 18 runs, 23 hits and four home runs against the Pirates.
Freshman shortstop Josh Horton tallied a career-best six RBI, including four in the Tar Heels' 11-run sixth inning in the win. Horton has continued his hot hitting and now leads the team and ranks eighth in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a .381 average. He had seven hits in the series in Tallahassee and has six multi-hit games in his last seven outings.
Freshman Chad Flack, who is currently on a seven-game hitting streak, is coming off a three-homer week for the Tar Heels. He now has 13 on the season and shares the team lead and the UNC freshman record with classmate Seth Williams, who had two hits at FSU Sunday.
Outfielder Brian Cavanaugh sports a .392 average, six home runs and 32 RBI to lead the Pirates, who are batting .312 as a team. Outfielder Drew Costanzo has a team-high 10 homers and is batting .290 with 35 RBI. Third baseman Mark Minicozzi leads the squad with 38 RBI.
With the win earlier this season, the Tar Heels now hold a 39-24 lead in the all-time series with the Pirates. Carolina has won its last four meetings with the East Carolina, which has not won in Chapel Hill since a 5-4 victory on April 27, 1994.
UNC can tie a school record with its 30th home win of the season Tuesday. The Tar Heels close out the regular season with a three-game series with Georgia Tech beginning Thursday at Boshamer Stadum.
