University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Georgia Tech
Miller Pitches No. 2 Tar Heels Past No. 4 Georgia Tech, 2-0
March 24, 2006 | Baseball
March 24, 2006
ATLANTA - North Carolina junior left-hander Andrew Miller struck out a career-high 13 batters over seven innings to lead the No. 2 Tar Heels (20-3, 5-2 ACC) to a 2-0 shutout of No. 4 Georgia Tech (18-4, 3-4 ACC) Friday at Russ Chandler Stadium. The shutout was Carolina's fourth of the season and first of the Yellow Jackets since 1999.
Now 5-0 for the second straight season, Miller allowed no runs on just four hits and one walk for his third shutout performance of six or more innings this year. His 13 strikeouts surpassed his previous career best of 12 against Arizona State March 4, 2005. The Gainesville, Fla., native struck out 10-plus batters for the third time in his last five starts and the seventh time in his career.
Sophomore right-hander Andrew Carignan kept the Jackets off the board for the final two innings to earn his fifth save. He allowed one hit, two walks and struck out three batters. Miller and Carignan combined to strikeout 16 batters, a season high for Carolina and one shy of the Georgia Tech record for strikeouts in a game.
First baseman Chad Flack scored the Tar Heels' first run in the second and drove in their second in the third. Catcher Tim Federowicz was 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk to push his hitting streak to a career-best nine games. Red-hot left fielder Jay Cox was 1-for-4 but extended his current hitting streak to 10 games and can match his career-long streak with a base hit Saturday.
Georgia Tech starter Blake Wood (5-2) went 6.1 innings and allowed two runs on five hits and four walks. He struck out five before Jared Hyatt came on in the seventh. Catcher Matt Wieters was 3-for-4 to lead the Jackets at the plate.
After both teams were set down in order in the first, Flack was hit by a pitch to lead off the second and came around to score on a double to right center by Federowicz to give Carolina an early 1-0 lead.
Flack also figured into the Tar Heels' second run with an RBI fielder's choice in the third. After singling to load the bases, Cox broke up a potential double play with his slide at second, allowing third baseman Reid Fronk, who walked three times in the game, to score from third on Flack's grounder back to Wood.
The two runs were more than enough for the Tar Heels, who blanked a top-five opponent for the first time since May 16, 2004 at No. 2 Miami. Miller struck out 11 in that game.
Tech threatened in both in the second and fourth innings with two on and just one out, but Miller buckled down to strikeout the next two batters he faced to preserve the shutout. The Yellow Jackets also stranded a runner in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Miller did not allow a hit after the fifth and did not walk a batter after the second. He struck out two batters in four separate innings and fanned the side in the fourth.
Carignan came on to open the eighth and allowed back-to-back base hits before coming back to strikeout Tech first baseman Whit Robbins and forcing pinch hitter Wally Crancer to ground to second to end the threat. The Yellow Jackets had the tying run at the plate in the ninth, but Carignan struck out center fielder Danny Payne for the fourth time on the night to end the game.
The series continues with game two set for 7 p.m. Saturday on Fox Sports Net South and the finale at 1 p.m. Sunday. An audio broadcast for both games will be available at TarHeelBlue.com.
