University of North Carolina Athletics
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No. 1 Tar Heels Complete Sweep Of Virginia Tech, 12-4
April 16, 2006 | Baseball
April 16, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 1-ranked North Carolina scored nine runs in its final two trips to the plate to claim a 12-4 comeback victory and a series sweep over visiting Virginia Tech Sunday at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels (31-7, 12-6 ACC) got seven strong innings from junior right-hander Daniel Bard and overcame an early four-run deficit to secure their first Atlantic Coast Conference series sweep of the season.
In his first win since March 11, Bard (4-2) allowed no earned runs, just five hits and struck out five batters. He walked five but did not allow base hit over his final three innings of work. Bard gave up three singles in the Hokies' four-run fourth, but two Tar Heel errors made all four runs unearned. Sunday's win marked the first time Bard went at least six innings since a March 4 complete game victory over Purdue. Bard and relievers Matt Danford and Brian Farrell combined to give up just one hit after the fourth inning.
Bard, Andrew Miller and Robert Woodard each picked up a win in a weekend for the Tar Heels for the first time since the season-opening three-game sweep of Seton Hall. Carolina pitching allowed just one earned run all weekend.
Catcher Benji Johnson, who scored a career-high three runs and equaled a career-best with three RBI, was one of three Tar Heels with multi-hit games. He tripled in back-to-back trips to the plate in the seventh and eighth innings and drove in all three runs with a bases-clearing triple in the eighth.
First baseman Chad Flack was 2-for-4 with two RBI, while center fielder Mike Cavasinni went 2-for-3. Third baseman Reid Fronk, left fielder Jay Cox and designated hitter Tim Federowicz each drove in two runs for the Tar Heels, who outscored the Hokies 24-9 over the weekend series. Eight of the Virginia Tech's nine runs in the series were unearned, including all four of Sunday on three Carolina errors.
Hokie starter Greg Fryman (3-4) allowed eight runs on seven hits and four walks in 6.2 innings. Third baseman Bryan Thomas had two of Virginia Tech's six hits.
Two of the Tar Heels' three errors led to four unearned runs for Virginia Tech (14-22, 2-16 ACC) in the top of the fourth. After back-to-back Hokie singles to open the inning, shortstop Josh Horton misplayed what appeared to be a routine double play ball off the bat of second baseman Matt Hacker, allowing the first run to score.
Bard then fielded a sac bunt by catcher Matt Foley and fired an errant throw past third in an attempt to get the lead runner. The second run crossed the plate on Bard's throwing error, and center fielder Nate Parks followed with an RBI single. Parks and Foley then executed a double steal to give the Hokies a 4-0 lead.
Carolina came right back to cut the lead in half on a two-run double by Federowicz. Johnson and Cox drew back-to-back one-out walks before Federowicz laced a ball into the right field corner off Fryman to clear the bases.
The Tar Heels pulled within one in the sixth when Johnson's first triple went under the glove of a diving Jose Cueto in right, and Cox followed on the next pitch with a sacrifice fly to left to trim the lead to 4-3.
Johnson's second triple in as many innings was the go-ahead hit in the Tar Heels' five-run seventh. Successive singles by right fielder Matt Spencer and second baseman Bryan Steed started the one-out rally, and a walk to Fronk loaded the bases. Flack then tied the game with a sac fly to deep center. An intentional pass to Horton loaded the bases for the second time in the frame before Johnson lofted a ball to right center that Parks could not come up with after leaping against the wall. All three runners scored, and Cox followed with a single up the middle to drive in Johnson and push the Carolina lead to 8-4.
Four more in the eighth put the game away for the Tar Heels, as Fronk singled home the first two runs before Flack delivered the Tar Heels' season-high third triple of the afternoon to score Fronk. Pinch hitter Garrett Gore followed with an RBI single to left to drive in Flack with Carolina's 12th run.
The Tar Heels are back in action Tuesday at UNC Greensboro at 6 p.m. before hosting NC State for a three-game series at Boshamer Stadium next weekend.
