University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Wake Forest
No. 3 Tar Heels Shut Down Deacs, 5-1
March 12, 2006 | Baseball
March 12, 2006
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - One day after four pitchers combined on a two-hit shutout, preseason All-America Andrew Miller and sophomore righty Andrew Carignan allowed just one unearned run on three hits as No. 3 North Carolina (14-2, 2-1 ACC) posted a 5-1 victory over No. 30 Wake Forest (13-5, 1-2 ACC) in the series finale Sunday at Gene Hooks Stadium.
Miller (4-0) went a season-long eight innings and allowed just one unearned run on three hits and three walks. The Gainesville, Fla., native struck out three en route to his team-best fourth win of the season. After Wake scored its lone run of the game in the second, Miller faced the minimum over the next four innings before issuing a seventh inning walk. Carignan faced just three batters in the ninth to close out the second straight Carolina win.
Designated hitter Jay Cox went 2-for-3 for his team-best ninth multi-hit game of the year. He led off Carolina's three-run sixth with a single and followed with a solo home run in the seventh for the Tar Heels' fifth and final run.
Batting fifth in the order for the first time this season, shortstop Josh Horton was 2-for-4 with an RBI triple for his eighth multi-hit game on the year. Right fielder Matt Spencer and catcher Tim Federowicz were each 2-for-4 with a run-scoring double, and first baseman Chad Flack also tacked on two of the Tar Heels' series-high 11 hits.
With the game tied at one, Cox singled to right to lead off the sixth, and Horton laced the Tar Heels' first triple of the season into the left field corner to plate the go-ahead run. Spencer followed with a bloop double into right center to score Horton, and Federowicz doubled to right to drive in Spencer from second and give Carolina a 4-1 advantage. The Tar Heels had five of their 11 hits on the day in the inning.
In the top of the seventh, Cox belted a solo home run to right center to push the Carolina lead to 5-1. The homer was his fourth of season and the ninth of his career. Cox, who had five hits over the final two games of the series, now shares the team home run lead with Spencer.
After the teams traded unearned runs in the second inning, neither squad scratched until the Tar Heels' three-run sixth. Flack led off the second with a single and later scored on a throwing error by Wake first baseman Allan Dykstra in the top of the inning, and the Deacs evened the score when right fielder Brian Shust reached on an error by Bryan Steed and scored on an RBI dribbler down the third base line off the bat of left fielder Casey Sterk.
WFU starter Charlie Mellies (3-1) lasted 5.2 innings and allowed three earned runs on nine hits and two walks. He struck out two before reliever Kyle Young came on to get the final out in the sixth.
Carolina is back in action with a two-game midweek series against George Mason at Boshamer Stadium. Game time is 2 p.m. both Tuesday and Wednesday.
