University of North Carolina Athletics
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Maryland
No. 3 Carolina Falls To Maryland In Series Opener, 15-8
March 17, 2006 | Baseball
March 17, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Designated hitter Jordan Wilson and third baseman Mike Murphy each drove in four runs to lead Maryland to a 15-8 win over third-ranked North Carolina Friday at Boshamer Stadium. The Terrapins (8-11, 3-4 ACC) broke open a close game with a seven-run sixth inning and held on to defeat the Tar Heels (15-3, 2-2 ACC) for just the second time in the teams' last 14 meetings.
Carolina hit a season-best four home runs over the game's first three innings but could not get anything going against Maryland reliever Brett Tidball, who came on with no one out in the third and tossed seven shutout innings. Carolina managed just two hits of Tidball (2-4) with none coming after the fifth inning.
Carolina starter Daniel Bard (3-1) allowed career highs of 10 runs and nine earned runs on 10 hits, which matched a career high set in his only other home start against Maryland in 2004. He walked four and struck out six.
Left fielder Jay Cox, center fielder Seth Williams, designated hitter Kyle Shelton and right fielder Matt Spencer each homered for the Tar Heels, who had 10 hits on the afternoon. Shelton, first baseman Chad Flack and catcher Tim Federowicz all had two hits on the day. Cox's home run was his team-best sixth of the season and pushed his hitting streak to five games.
Maryland's 15 runs and 16 hits were the most allowed by Carolina on the year and season highs for the Terps. Six players had multi-hit games led by second baseman Dan Melvin and left fielder Wink Nolan, who had three hits apiece. Wilson drove in his four runs on a two-run triple in the first and two-run double in the sixth.
After falling behind in the top of the first on a two-run triple down the right field line by Wilson, Carolina exploded for six runs on two doubles and two homers in the bottom of the inning. Cox tied the game with a first-pitch homer to straightaway center, and Federowicz put the Tar Heels in front with a two-run double to left center. Two batters later, Williams hammed his third home run of the season off the top of the scoreboard in left for a 6-2 lead.
Maryland added an unearned run in the top of the second, but Shelton quickly got it back for the Tar Heels with his first career home run, a solo shot to left. After loading the bases against Bard on two walks and a single, the Terps tied the game in the third on a grand slam to right center off the bat of Murphy.
Spencer belted his fifth homer of the season to right in the bottom of the third to give Carolina an 8-7 lead. The Tar Heels' fourth homer of the afternoon ended the day for Maryland starter Ben Pfinsgraff, who allowed eight earned runs on eight hits and one walk.
With Carolina still holding an 8-7 advantage heading into the sixth, the Terps hung seven runs and seven hits on the Tar Heels in the top of the frame to take a 14-8 lead. Maryland sent 12 men to the plate in the inning with four tallying RBI singles and Wilson adding a two-run double.
The Tar Heels' Matt Danford and Jonathan Hovis struggled in relief, but sophomore Mike Facchinei allowed just one hit and one unearned run over the final three innings. He struck out four.
The series continues with lefty Andrew Miller on the mound for the Tar Heels at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and right-hander Robert Woodard set to start Sunday at 1 p.m.
