University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
High Point
Homers Lead No. 1 Tar Heels Past High Point, 7-3
April 26, 2006 | Baseball
April 26, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 1 North Carolina used solo home runs from Josh Horton and Jay Cox and a pinch-hit three-run shot from Benji Johnson to post a 7-3 win over visiting High Point Wednesday at a rain-soaked Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels (36-8) are now 30-3 in Chapel Hill for just the fourth 30-win home slate in program history.
Horton was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored to extend his hitting streak to six games. He put the Tar Heels on the board in the third with a two-run double and followed in the sixth with a solo home run to put Carolina in front to stay. Cox hit a go-ahead solo homer in the third and Johnson added some insurance with his three-run blast in the eighth. First baseman Chad Flack had an infield single in the eighth to extend his current hitting streak to 11 games.
Right-hander Tyler Trice (1-0) picked up his first career victory with two innings of solid relief. He allowed one unearned run on three hits and one walk. The Tar Heels also got strong relief outings from Matt Danford, who worked two shutout frames, and Jonathan Hovis, who retired six of the seven batters he faced in the seventh and eighth innings. Sophomore Mike Facchinei worked a scoreless ninth.
High Point starter Chris Marks (5-4) took the loss after allowing four runs on five hits and one walk in 5.1 innings. Third baseman Jeff Cowan, first baseman Randy Schwartz and left fielder Matt Ganter each had two hits for the Panthers (21-24).
The Tar Heels went hitless until the third and found themselves in an early 2-0 deficit before right fielder Matt Spencer started a scoring rally with a one-out single to right. Marks then hit Flack and balked both runners into scoring position for Horton, who laced a double to right center to the tie game at two.
Cox led off the fourth with the solo home run - his team-best ninth of the season - to give Carolina its first lead of the night at 3-2. Cox belted the first pitch he saw from Marks off the scoreboard in left center for his first home run since March 19. Cox now has 40 RBI on the season.
High Point tied the game in the sixth on an RBI single by Cowan off Trice. Ganter singled and reached second when Horton booted a potential inning-ending double play ball. Cowan followed with his second hit of the night - a single through the right side to knot the score at three.
Leading off the bottom of the inning, Horton atoned for his fielding miscue with a homer to right center to put the Tar Heels in front to stay at 4-3. He connected on a 2-1 offering from Marks for his third round-tripper of the season. With the three RBI Wednesday, Horton now has 38 on the year, which marks a new career high.
In the eighth, Horton reached on a fielder's choice and catcher Tim Federowicz drew a walk before Johnson's pinch hit homer to right center. He jumped on a 1-1 pitch from Brandon Moore for his career-best seventh home run.
The Panthers scored two early runs off Carolina starter Adam Warren, who lasted two-plus innings and gave up three hits and three walks. The New Bern native struck out a career-best three batters before Danford came on with two on in the third.
Carolina returns to conference action with a three-game set at Duke this weekend. Game times are 7 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
