University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Boston College
Hovis Holds Off Eagles In 5-2 Carolina Win
May 19, 2006 | Baseball
May 19, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Senior righty Jonathan Hovis earned his seventh victory with four innings of relief, and Jay Cox and Reid Fronk each drove in two runs to lead No. 5 North Carolina to a series-clinching, 5-2 win over Boston College Friday at Boshamer Stadium.
Now 44-11 and 21-8 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Carolina established a school record for regular season victories with the win. The 44 victories also match the third-best total in program history, trailing only 2000 (46) and 1990 (51).
On the eve of Senior Day, Hovis (7-2) came on in the fifth and equaled a season-long outing of four innings. He gave up just one unearned run on three hits and a walk and struck out four. Closer Andrew Carignan worked a perfect ninth for his 13th save, the second best single-season total in UNC history. Carolina starter Robert Woodard worked four innings and allowed one run on three hits and a walk.
The Tar Heels have allowed just one earned run in 27 innings this week, lowering their staff ERA to 3.13 on the season. Hovis now owns a team-best 1.43 mark in 29 appearances.
One day after seeing a 15-game hitting streak snapped, shortstop Josh Horton went 3-for-4 with two runs scored to push his average back to an ACC-best .406. Cox was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles, and Fronk drove in a pair of runs on a two-run double in the fifth.
Boston College starter Terry Doyle (5-5) took the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) on 10 hits. He struck out six and walked one. Shortstop Ryan Hutchinson had two hits to lead the Eagles (28-24-1, 9-20 ACC) at the plate.
Boston College scratched out a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Hutchinson, which scored Jared McGuire, who led off with a single. The Eagles then pushed their lead to 2-0 in the fifth on an RBI single from Pete Frates. Ryne Reynoso scored after singling to first and moving to second on a throwing error by Chad Flack.
Back-to-back-to-back doubles from the top of the order helped the Tar Heels bounce back to take a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth. After Seth Williams was hit by a pitch, Mike Cavasinni doubled to right center to put runners on second and third, and Fronk followed with a double down the right field line to tie the game at two.
Flack sent the very next pitch from Doyle down the left field line to plate Fronk and give Carolina its first lead of the night. Horton then singled up the middle, and Flack tried to score from second on the play but was thrown out at the plate and was ejected from the game on what was ruled a flagrant collision with BC catcher Shawn McGill.
After the collision, Tim Federowicz reached on the Eagles' second error of the night before Cox drove in Carolina's fourth run of the frame on a single to right. He followed with a second RBI single in the seventh, which drove in Horton, who started the rally with a one-out double.
The Tar Heels and Eagles close out the regular season at noon Saturday at Boshamer Stadium. Hovis will be honored before game as Carolina's lone senior.
