University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Georgia Tech
No. 4 Yellow Jackets Even Series With No. 2 Tar Heels
March 25, 2006 | Baseball
March 25, 2006
ATLANTA - No. 4 Georgia Tech broke open a tight game with seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to cruise to an 11-1 win over No. 2 North Carolina Saturday in game two of an Atlantic Coast Conference series at Russ Chandler Stadium. With the win the Yellow Jackets (19-4, 4-4 ACC) evened the three-game set with the Tar Heels (20-4, 5-3 ACC) at one game apiece with the rubber game set for 1 p.m. Sunday.
Georgia Tech had just eight hits, led by two from catcher Matt Wieters, but Carolina issued nine walks on the night. First baseman Whit Robbins hit a two-run homer, and center fielder Danny Payne also drove in two to lead the Jackets.
In his first start of the season, Georgia Tech right-hander Tim Gustavson (2-0) allowed one run on six hits and one walk over seven innings to earn the win. He struck out a career-best seven batters.
UNC starter Daniel Bard (3-2) allowed just two hits over 3.2 innings but walked a career-high six batters, including three in the fourth inning before righty Matt Danford came on to leave the bases loaded. Danford pitched well in relief, working four innings and striking out seven batters, one shy of his career high.
Carolina left fielder Jay Cox wasted little time matching his career-best hitting streak with a first inning single. He led the Tar Heels with two base hits and has hit safely in his last 11 games, equaling a run from April 20 to May 14 last season.
Carolina took a 1-0 lead in the third without hitting a ball out of the infield, as designated hitter Mike Cavasinni led off with a bunt single and scored on a fielder's choice grounder from first baseman Chad Flack. Third baseman Reid Fronk and Cox also reached on infield singles before Flack sent a chopper to third sending Cavasinni home.
Tech tied the game without a hit in the third as shortstop Michael Fisher walked, advanced to third on a wild pitch and a passed ball and scored on an RBI groundout by third baseman Wes Hodges.
The Jackets jumped ahead 3-1 in the fourth on a two-run homer by Robbins. Wieters singled to lead off the inning for the first hit off Bard before Robbins sent a 3-1 pitch to right center to give Tech the two-run cushion. After the homer, Bard loaded the bases on three walks before Danford came on to strikeout Hodges to end the inning.
In the fifth, Wieters singled, stole second base and scored on a throwing error by UNC shortstop Josh Horton to push the Georgia Tech lead to 4-1.
Payne open the scoring for the Yellow Jackets in the eighth with a two-run single that bounced over the head of UNC second baseman Bryan Steed, and after back-to-back bases loaded hit batters, Chris House followed with a two-run single and left fielder Steven Blackwood tacked on an RBI single for the 11-1 final score.
The series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. with junior Robert Woodard on the mound for the Tar Heels.
