University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Wake Forest
Bard Leads Tar Heels To Two-Hit Shutout Of Wake Forest
March 11, 2006 | Baseball
March 11, 2006
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Preseason All-America right-hander Daniel Bard and three relievers combined on a two-hit shutout as No. 3 North Carolina evened its series with No. 30 Wake Forest with a 3-0 victory Saturday at Gene Hooks Stadium. Sophomore Andrew Carignan struck out three of the seven batters he faced to earn his second save for the Tar Heels (12-2, 1-1 ACC), who snapped an 11-game winning streak for the Demon Deacons (13-4, 1-1 ACC).
In six shutout innings, Bard (3-0) struck out eight, walked two and allowed just one base hit. The Charlotte Christian product hit the first batter of the game and then set down the next 10 Deacons he faced. He pitched out of jams in both the fourth and fifth innings, stranding five runners over this stretch. Now 3-0 in his career against Wake Forest, Bard has 35 strikeouts against just four walks in 28 innings this season.
Relievers Jonathan Hovis, Matt Cox and Carignan worked the final three innings to preserve Carolina's third shutout of the season and its second two-hitter. Carignan came on with runners on the corners with one out in the eighth but left the bases loaded and held onto the Tar Heels' three-run cushion. He then came back to strike out two batters in the ninth to nail down the win.
Designated hitter Jay Cox was 3-for-3 for his 11th career three-hit game and his team-best eighth multi-hit game of the season. He walked in his only other appearance on the afternoon to reach base all four times.
Carolina scratched in the top of the third to take a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Josh Horton. Making his first start in over a week due to a hamstring injury, left fielder Mike Cavasinni singled up the middle and moved to third on a single by third baseman Reid Fronk and a wild pitch before Horton flied out to the left field corner.
A second sac fly pushed the Tar Heels' lead to 2-0 in the fourth, as right fielder Matt Spencer reached on an error, took second on a wild pitch and swiped third before scoring on a fly out to left by center fielder Seth Williams. Spencer, who also stole third in the eighth, now has a team-best nine steals on the season.
Cavasinni kept the Deacs off the board in the bottom of the inning when he robbed Wake right fielder Brian Shust of a grand slam to preserve the two-run Carolina lead. Bard sandwiched his first walk and a hit batter around a single by first baseman Allan Dykstra before Cavasinni's leaping catch at the wall ended the inning.
The Tar Heels added an insurance run in the sixth without hitting a ball out of the infield and first baseman Chad Flack led off the frame with a bunt single and moved to third on a stolen base and a wild pitch. He then scored when Jay Cox legged out an RBI single to shortstop with two out.
Wake Forest starter Brad Kledzik (2-1) lasted seven innings and allowed three runs on five hits and one walk. He struck out two.
The series concludes at 1 p.m. Sunday with junior lefty Andrew Miller on the hill for the Tar Heels against Wake Forest righty Charlie Mellies.
