University of North Carolina Athletics
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Winthrop
UNC Downs Winthrop, Punches Ticket To Super Regional
June 4, 2006 | Baseball
June 4, 2006
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Regional Most Outstanding Player Jay Cox, Tim Federowicz, Benji Johnson and Josh Horton each hit home runs, and right-hander Daniel Bard struck out eight and allowed just two runs, as top-seeded North Carolina wrapped up the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional title with a 14-2 win over Winthrop Sunday at Boshamer Stadium. Winners of their first regional since 2003, the Tar Heels (48-13) move on to face the winner of the Tuscaloosa Regional in next weekend's Super Regional round. The Eagles end their season with a 46-18 mark.
Cox, who was 8-for-13 with four home runs, two doubles and 11 RBI in the three games, was joined on the regional all-tournament team by Bard, Federowicz, Flack, Horton and Seth Williams.
After tallying just one hit over the first two games, Horton came through with a career high-tying four hits and four RBI to lead the Tar Heel attack Sunday. Freshman Garrett Gore added a career-best three hits, as did Federowicz, who also drove in two runs. Cox, Flack, Johnson and Williams all chipped in two base hits apiece. Flack now sports a 10-game hit streak and has driven in a run in nine straight games.
Carolina broke out its bats this weekend, tallying 43 runs on 51 hits. Helped by three innings of six-plus runs, the Tar Heels scored 10 or more times in three straight postseason games for the first time in program history.
Bard (8-3) picked up his first career NCAA victory with 6.2 solid innings, scattering eight hits and two walks. The win was the 23rd of Bard's career, which is good for seventh all-time at Carolina, and he now has 235 career strikeouts, just two shy of 10th on the Tar Heels' all-time list. Relievers Jonathan Hovis, Matt Cox and Andrew Carignan closed out the win with 2.2 scoreless frames.
In his first start of the season, Winthrop closer Jonathan Settle (5-2) gave up two runs on six hits and one walk over 2.2 innings. Left fielder Jacob Dempsey led the Eagles with two hits.
Reid Fronk started the Tar Heels' third-inning rally with a one-out single and came around to score on a double to left center by Horton. Flack then laced a single to left to drive in Horton and give Carolina an early two-run lead.
Johnson opened the Tar Heels' six-run fourth with a solo shot to left center, his 13th of the season. Carolina went on to load the bases before Flack doubled to right center to plate two, and Cox drove in his 10th run of the regional on a groundout to first. Federowicz tacked on a two-run homer - his ninth - to straightaway center off reliever Chase Edwards for an 8-0 lead for the Tar Heels.
After Horton pushed the lead to 9-0 on a sacrifice fly in the fifth, Winthrop scratched out a pair in the bottom of the inning on a throwing error by Gore and an RBI single by Heath Rollins.
In the sixth, Cox's fourth home run of the weekend - a shot deep into the trees in right center - gave the Tar Heels 10 or more runs for a third straight game for the first time since March 22. Horton followed in the seventh with his two-run homer off Bryn Henderson, Johnson added an RBI single and Mike Cavasinni was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to plate Carolina's 14th and final run of the day.
This weekend marked the first time that the Tar Heels captured a regional title on their home field and was the second regional victory in the last four seasons. UNC captured the 2003 NCAA Starkville Regional title en route to their first-ever Super Regional appearance.
Carolina fans should stay tuned to TarHeelBlue.com for ticket information for next weekend's Super Regional.
