University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Winthrop
Tar Heels Top No. 2 Seed Winthrop, 14-4
June 3, 2006 | Baseball
June 3, 2006
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Junior Jay Cox homered twice and drove in four runs, and All-America Andrew Miller fanned six over eight-plus innings to become the first Tar Heel with 300 career strikeouts, to lead No. 1 seed North Carolina to a 14-4 win over second-seeded Winthrop Saturday in NCAA Chapel Hill Regional action at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels (47-13) move on to Sunday's 5 p.m. regional title game against the winner of tomorrow's 1 p.m. elimination contest between the Eagles (45-17) and UNC Wilmington.
Cox, who now has three homers and nine RBI in regional play, was one of six Tar Heels with multi-hit games. Mike Cavasinni and Tim Federowicz each pounded out four hits, and Chad Flack, Benji Johnson and Seth Williams each had at least two hits for the Tar Heels, who notched a season-high eight doubles and 11 extra-base hits. Cox hit a solo homer in the third and followed with a two-run blast in the seventh to grab a share of the team lead with 12 on the year.
Cavasinni, whose four hits were a career-high, now has 13 hits over the last five games and owns a season-best six-game hit streak. Flack also extended his hit streaks to 10 games. The Tar Heels' 21 hits were their second most of the season, trailing only a 24-hit effort April 5 against Davidson.
Carolina's offensive output was more than enough for Miller, who scattered nine hits and four runs over eight-plus innings to become the Tar Heels' first Carolina's first 12-game winner since Jim Dougherty in 1990. Now tied for third at UNC with 26 career victories, Miller (12-2) walked three and struck out six to pick up his first career win in NCAA play. He now has exactly 300 career strikeouts, which is 19th in ACC history.
The Tar Heels touched up Winthrop starter Alex Wilson (13-3) for 13 hits and seven runs - both season highs - in five-plus innings. The Big South Freshman of the Year, who last lost a start March 31, walked two and struck out three.
After Tommy Lentz's first-inning RBI single gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead, Carolina scored twice in the third to pull in front for the first time on the afternoon. Cavasinni started the rally with his second infield single and scored the game-tying run on a double to center by Reid Fronk. Flack followed two batters later with a single to center to plate Fronk with the go-ahead run.
The Tar Heels tacked on a run in the fourth but left the bases loaded, squandering a chance to break the game open. Federowicz led off the frame with a single and moved to third on a Williams double before Johnson sent a chopper over Winthrop third baseman Mitch Saum to give UNC a 3-1 advantage.
The Eagles trimmed the lead to 3-2 in the fifth, as No. 9 hitter Alan Robbins drew a one-out walk and scored on a Heath Rollins sacrifice fly.
Cox quickly got the run back for the Tar Heels with a solo shot to center off Wilson for the first of four straight extra-base hits for Carolina. After Federowicz doubled to left center, Williams, who also had two doubles on the night, tripled down the right field line and Johnson doubled just inside third base for a 6-2 lead.
But as it did in the fifth, Winthrop was able to answer in the top of the sixth, scoring two times on an RBI single from Saum and a run-scoring groundout by Robbins. Miller then induced a popup to second by leadoff man Chris Carrara to strand runners at second and third and preserve a two-run cushion.
The Tar Heels, who scored 10-plus runs in back-to-back games for first time since a midweek sweep of Towson March 21-22, sent 11 men to the plate in the sixth and scored six times to push their lead to 12-4. Cox drove in the first run with a sac fly to left before Federowicz plated two with a single up the middle. After pinch hitter Matt Spencer drew a bases loaded walk, Cavasinni came through with a two-run single through the left side to cap the scoring. Cox followed in the seventh with a two-run homer to straightaway center for a 10-run Tar Heel lead.
The win was the 47th of the year for Carolina, which stands as the second-most in program history. The Tar Heels also extended their school record for home wins to 37.
Junior right-hander Daniel Bard will take the mound for the Tar Heels in the regional title game Sunday. Carolina now has two chances to win one game and move on to its first Super Regional since 2003.
