University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Alabama (NCAA Super Regional)
Tar Heels Top Tide, 11-5, To Open Super Regional
June 9, 2006 | Baseball
June 9, 2006
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - All-America pitcher Andrew Miller, the sixth pick of the 2006 draft by the Detroit Tigers, exhibited his all-star form in leading North Carolina to an 11-5 victory over No. 4 national seed Alabama Friday night in Tuscaloosa before a crowd of 5,240.
"This is obviously a big win for us," UNC head coach Mike Fox said. "I thought Josh Horton's homerun jumpstarted us and anytime we can get a lead early for Andrew Miller, if he is throwing like he has for most of the year, then we feel confident. This was a big win for us but we know how tough it is going to be and we're sure that Alabama is going to come out tomorrow and give us their best shot."
While Miller was virtually untouchable in improving to 13-2 for the year, Alabama all-star left-hander Wade LeBlanc was ripped for 10 hits and six runs in 5 2/3 innings pitched, giving him his first loss of this season. He is now 11-1.
"It was a tough night," Alabama head coach Jim Wells said. "Their guy was good. Dominating. And what gets lost in the shuffle when you get beat up like that. We just didn't play well in any phase of the game whether it was fielding a bunt or turning a double play it led to runs being scored. And they're a good team, and we have to, like we've had all year for the most part, keep the game close and have a chance to win in the end, hopefully get into their bullpen.
Miller went seven innings, giving up two unearned runs on five hits. He struck out 11 Crimson Tide batters, the fifth time this year he has recorded double digit Ks.
North Carolina was just as impressive with the bat, racking up 17 hits, the most given up by the Tide in three seasons.
North Carolina improved to 49-13 on the year, while Alabama dropped to 44-20. The two teams will play game two in the best of three Saturday night at 6 p.m. Daniel Bard will get the start for the Tar Heels while the Crimson Tide will counter with freshman Tommy Hunter.
Shortstop John Horton ripped a homer and a single and scored three times, while catcher Tim Federowicz also had a round-tripper and run scoring single. The star at the plate, though, was centerfielder Mike Cavasinni, who had a career high five hits. First baseman Chad Flack contributed three singles and three RBI.
Carolina jumped on Bama early, building an 8-0 lead before the Tide made a late rally. In the top of the first inning, the Tar Heels scored two runs on a one-out home run by shortstop Horton, his seventh of the season. Cavasinni started the game by singling past second baseman Evan Bush.
North Carolina extended its lead to 3-0 in the top of the third when Cavasinni again started the inning with a hit and moved around to score on an infield single by Flack. An error on LeBlanc on a misplayed punt moved Cavasinni to second and he advanced to third on a fly out before crossing home on the one-out single.
After retiring the first two hitters in the fifth, LeBlanc ran into trouble when Spencer Pennington bobbled an easy grounder by Jay Cox allowing the Tar Heel leftfielder to reach with two outs. Federowicz followed by slamming a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall for his 10th homer of the year and a 5-0 Carolina lead.
A Horton single scored Garrett Gore with two outs in the top of the sixth, sending Alabama head coach Jim Wells to the mound to pull LeBlanc and insert Jordan Davis as the second pitcher of the night for the Crimson Tide.
Flack greeted Davis with a hard grounder than eluded Bush and scored second baseman Kyle Shelton with the seventh run of the night. Cox looped a soft single to right between Bush and Rhoden to score Horton and continue the Carolina onslaught.
Miller dominated the Tide, running into some slight trouble in the first and fifth. Matt Downs and Kody Valverde drew one-out walks in the first but Miller got Bush on a line drive to deep center before striking out Ryan Rhoden.
Brandon Belcher lashed a one-out double in the fifth, for only the seventh extra base hit of the year against Miller, but he struck out Greg Paiml and Emeel Salem, leaving Belcher stranded at second.
Alabama finally scratched through in the bottom of the seventh, scoring twice with two outs. Salem's infield single plated Kent Matthes, who had singled to start the mini-rally, and Belcher scored when Downs reached on an error on Flack. Miller averted further problems when he got Valverde to ground into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
Carolina wasted no time in getting the runs back in the top of the eighth. After loading the bases on a hit batter, a walk and a single, Cox drove home two runs on a single, upping the Tar Heel total to 10, marking the fourth straight game in which UNC had scored in double digits.
With Josh Copeland on the mound in relief, North Carolina added one more run on a single by Federowicz, making it 11-2.
Alabama answered with three of its own. Singles by pinch hitters Alex Avila and Matt Bentley and Matthes scored one run. An error allowed Belcher to reach first and Bentley to score and Paiml's sacrifice fly scored Matthes.
