University of North Carolina Athletics
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Florida State (ACC)
Florida State Nips North Carolina in 12 at ACC Tourney
May 25, 2005 | Baseball
May 25, 2005
JACKSONVILLE, FL.(AP)-North Carolina first baseman Matt Spencer's wild throw to third base in the bottom of the 12th inning allowing Ryan Malone to score the winning run in Florida State's 3-2 win over the Tar Heels in Wednesday's third game of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.
The win moves FSU (49-16) into the winner's bracket on Thursday where it will meet the winner of the late game between Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. North Carolina (40-16-1) takes on the loser of that game.
The Seminoles were victorious in the 12th inning without the aid of a base hit or without getting the ball out of the infield. Malone got a leadoff walk and went to second when Gibbs Chapman was hit by a pitch. Aaron Cheesman's sacrifice bunt was fielded cleanly by Spencer, but he threw the ball past third baseman Chad Flack in trying to get the force on Malone.
It was the third consecutive year that Florida State and North Carolina have played an extra inning affair against each other in the ACC Tournament.
Florida State appeared to have won the game in regulation. Holding a 2-1 lead with two outs in the ninth, Spencer struck out with the tying run on third base. But the ball got away from Cheesman and his ensuing throw to first base hit Spencer, allowing the tying run to score and sending the game to extra innings.
Florida State had taken a 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the sixth inning on successive RBI-producing hits by Danny Wardell and Jack Rye.
FSU reliever Tyler Chambliss (7-3) threw a season high four innings, limiting the Tar Heels to just one hit after the ninth inning. Cheesman was the lone Seminoles starter who failed to get a base hit with Malone the only player who had two hits.
North Carolina's Chase Younts led the Tar Heels with three of his team's nine hits. Reliever Matt Danford (4-2) took the loss after pitching the final two innings.
