University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Boston College
No. 5 Tar Heels Top Boston College, Clinch Coastal Crown
May 20, 2006 | Baseball
May 20, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - ehind a six-hitter from junior right-hander Daniel Bard and two relievers, No. 5 North Carolina posted a 5-1 win over Boston College Saturday and in the process wrapped up the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division title and the No. 2 seed for next week's conference tournament. With the second spot in the field, Tar Heels (45-11, 22-8 ACC) enter the postseason with their highest ACC seed since being No. 1 in 1990.
Bard (7-3) bounced back from a loss at Virginia with seven strong innings against the Eagles (28-25-1, 9-21 ACC). He scattered five hits and two walks over seven innings and struck out four. The Charlotte native now has 22 career victories, which is good for a tie for eighth on the Tar Heels' career list.
Righty Matt Danford fanned a pair in a scoreless eighth, and closer Andrew Carignan struck out two batters in the ninth to nail down the win. Carolina allowed just two earned runs in four games this week for a 0.50 ERA over 36 innings.
Freshmen Mike Cavasinni and Tim Federowicz each had two hits on the afternoon, and first baseman Chad Flack added a third-inning homer to pilot the offense.
Starter Nate Jeanes (2-5) took the loss for the Eagles with three runs on eight hits in three innings. Righty Ted Ratliff was sharp in relief with a pair of hitless frames for BC. Sean McGill and Eric Campbell each had two hits.
With Bard cruising early, the Tar Heels scored a run in each of their first three trips to the plate to take a 3-0 lead after three. Cavasinni led off with a single and scored on an RBI single down the right field line by Kyle Shelton in the first, and the Huntersville product drove in Reid Fronk in the second with a single to left.
Flack connected on the first pitch he saw from Jeanes in the third for his ninth home run of the season, a solo shot to left center for a three-run cushion. Flack's homer also drove in his team-high 50th run of the season.
Boston College got on the board in the fifth on a two-out RBI single by Pete Frates off Bard. Robert Dittrich was hit by a pitch on an 0-2 count and scored two batters later on Frates' base hit.
The Tar Heels got the run back in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Seth Williams. Jay Cox drew a leadoff walk and scored on Williams' deep fly out to center. Benji Johnson drove in an insurance run in the eighth on a safety squeeze to push Carolina's lead to 5-1 heading to the bottom of the ninth.
UNC will be back in action on day one of the 2006 ACC Championship Wednesday at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. As the tourney's No. 2 seed, the Tar Heels will play at 1 p.m. against the No. 7 seed, which will be determined later Saturday.
