University of North Carolina Athletics
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Virginia
No. 9 Virginia Takes Series From No. 1 Tar Heels, 9-2
May 14, 2006 | Baseball
May 14, 2006
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - First baseman Sean Doolittle drove in four runs on three hits to lead No. 9 Virginia to a 9-2 win and a series victory over No. 1 North Carolina Sunday at Davenport Field. The Tar Heels (41-11, 19-8 ACC) have dropped three of their last four games but still hold a one-game lead over the Cavaliers (41-11, 18-9 ACC) in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference heading into the final weekend of league play.
After a midweek meeting with UNC Greensboro Tuesday, Carolina hosts Boston College for a three-game set beginning Thursday with the division title on the line.
Virginia starter Mike Ballard (7-2) picked up the win Sunday after holding the Tar Heels to just two runs on seven hits in 6.1 innings. He walked one and struck out five. In addition to Doolittle's three hits, left fielder Tom Hagan and shortstop Greg Miclat had two hits on the afternoon.
Shortstop Josh Horton led the Tar Heels with three hits and an RBI to move his career-best hitting streak to 14 games. First baseman Chad Flack and left fielder Kyle Shelton each added two hits for Carolina, which lost a weekend series for just the second time this season.
UNC righty Daniel Bard (6-3) saw a three-start win streak snapped after allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks over just 3.2 innings. After Jonathan Hovis gave up two runs over 3.1 innings of relief, closer Andrew Carignan allowed four earned runs in the eighth for a second straight appearance. Eight of the nine earned runs he has allowed this season came this week.
After the Tar Heels took a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI double by Shelton, Virginia scored five unanswered runs to take a 5-1 lead through six. The Cavaliers took advantage of two UNC errors in the third to tie the game on a single by Doolittle, and went ahead with two runs in the fourth capped by a second run-scoring single from Doolittle.
Following two more runs in the sixth, Virginia scored four two-out runs against Carignan to put the game away in the eighth. Doolittle drove in the first two with his third hit of the day, and Hagan followed with an RBI single. Carignan balked in the fourth run for 9-2 final score.
