University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Campbell
No. 1 Tar Heels Top Campbell For 40th Win
May 9, 2006 | Baseball
May 9, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Sophomores Reid Fronk, Josh Horton and Benji Johnson each hit solo home runs, as No. 1 North Carolina became the first team in the nation to reach the 40-win mark with a 6-3 victory over visiting Campbell Tuesday at Boshamer Stadium. In their first action since April 30, the Tar Heels (40-8) extended their season-best winning streak to nine games and secured a school-record fifth straight 40-win season.
The win also gives Carolina a 31-3 record at home this season, which is just one shy of the school record of 32 home victories set in 2005. The Tar Heels' 40-8 record through 48 games is tops in program history.
Johnson's homer was his fifth in the last five games and his team-best 11th of the season, while Horton's seventh-inning shot pushed his current hitting streak to 10 games. Horton now has three hitting streaks of 10 or more games on the year. Fronk went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in on a third-inning homer and an RBI single in the sixth. First baseman Chad Flack, who had a 13-game hitting streak snapped in the Tar Heels' last outing, was 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Reliever Matt Danford (5-1) came on with a runner on second and one out in the sixth and retired all five batters he faced, including two via strikeout, to pick up the win. He has not allowed a run over his last eight appearances since April 8. Jonathan Hovis worked the eighth before closer Andrew Carignan set down the Camels in order in the ninth for his 12th save, which is tied for the second most in program history.
Carolina starter Adam Warren had the longest outing of his young career, allowing two runs on five hits over 5.1 innings. He matched a career high with three strikeouts and walked just one.
Campbell starter Mike Ange (0-4) allowed four runs - two earned - on four hits and four walks over 5.2 innings.
Fronk gave the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead in the third with his first home run since hitting two at Miami April 9. The Charlotte native belted a 2-0 pitch from Ange to right for eighth homer of the season, which is good for second on the team.
Campbell right fielder Luke Reiland tied the game in the fifth with a solo homer off Warren to left. Reiland's fourth home run of the season was the first allowed by Tar Heel pitching since April 9 - a span of 13 games.
The Camels (15-32) took their first lead of the night in the sixth when designated hitter Brandon Scott tripled to right, and third baseman Tim Holt followed with an RBI double to end Warren's night and give Campbell a brief 2-1 lead.
Leading off the bottom of the inning, Johnson homered down the left field line on a 3-1 offering from Ange to tie the game at two. The Camels' second error of the night kept the inning alive, and back-to-back RBI singles off reliever Joe Waldecker by second baseman Bryan Steed and Fronk pushed the Tar Heels' lead to 4-2.
Horton led off the seventh with his fifth home run of the season off Blake Herring, one of the Camels' regular weekend starters. Horton's round-tripper was the Tar Heels' 13th over the last five games and their 60th of the year.
Carolina scored for the third straight inning when Flack singled through the left side of the infield to drive in second baseman Garrett Gore, who reached on Campbell's third error.
Carolina is back in action Wednesday against No. 21 Winthrop at 6 p.m.
