University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Duke
No. 1 Tar Heels Complete Sweep of Duke, 7-1
April 30, 2006 | Baseball
April 30, 2006
DURHAM, N.C. - Shortstop Josh Horton and catcher Benji Johnson each hit solo home runs, and junior right-hander Daniel Bard and two relievers combined on a five-hitter to lead No. 1 North Carolina to a 7-1 win over Duke Sunday at Jack Coombs Field. The Tar Heels (39-8, 18-6 ACC) have swept three straight Atlantic Coast Conference series and have won 10 straight league games for the first time since a 12-game streak over the 1983-84 seasons.
Carolina's 18 ACC victories are a school record, surpassing 17-win seasons in 1990, 2002 and 2005.
Horton, who has hit safely in nine straight games, went 3-for-5 and drove in two runs on a fourth-inning RBI double and a solo homer in the eighth. Johnson had two hits for the third straight game in the series and hit his third home run of the weekend in the fifth. He also scored two of UNC's seven runs on the afternoon. Sophomore Chad Flack saw his career-best 13-game hitting streak snapped but drove in a run in the ninth.
Bard (6-2) struck out six over six-plus innings and allowed just one run on four hits and two walks. The Charlotte native has allowed just one earned run over his last three starts and has won three straight outings for the first time this season. Bard now has 21 career victories to move into a tie for ninth on UNC's all-time win list. Jonathan Hovis and Matt Danford combined to allow just one hit and faced the minimum over the final three innings. Hovis has now made 93 career appearances to move into seventh place in the Tar Heels' record book.
Duke starter Jimmy Gallagher (1-4) allowed two runs on just three hits and one walk over five solid innings but was the tough-luck loser.
After going in order through three, Carolina finally got on the board in the fourth on the RBI double by Horton. Left fielder Kyle Shelton led off with a double to left and Horton followed two batters later with a double down the left field line to give the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead.
Duke (14-33, 6-18 ACC) tied the score in the bottom of the inning when second baseman Javier Socorro was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game and came around to score on a single down the right field line by first baseman Jonathan Nicolla. The base hit snapped a run of 19.1 innings without an earned run for Bard.
The Tar Heels came right back to reclaim the lead in the top of the fifth on Johnson's homer. He sent the 0-1 pitch from Gallagher over the left field wall for his team-best 10th home run of the season and fourth in the last four games.
Both teams were then quiet until Horton's eighth-inning solo shot pushed Carolina's lead to 3-1. The Hillsborough native pulled the 1-2 pitch from Duke reliever Ryan Perry over the fence in right center for his fourth home run of the season and the seventh of the weekend for Carolina.
The Tar Heels put the game away with four runs in the ninth. Outfielder Jay Cox led off the inning and scored on a balk before second baseman Garrett Gore singled home Johnson, who was hit by a pitch, for a 5-1 UNC lead. Gore and center fielder Mike Cavasinni, who singled, both scored on a fielding error by Duke third baseman Adam Murray for the final two runs of the afternoon.
With eight straight wins, Carolina has matched its longest winning streak of the season. The Tar Heels have won 16 of their last 18 overall, including the 10 straight wins in ACC play, and their 39 victories lead the nation. Carolina needs just one more win for its fifth straight 40-win season and its seventh in eight years under head coach Mike Fox.
The Tar Heels now take an eight-day break for final exams and return to action against Campbell May 9 at Boshamer Stadium.
