University of North Carolina Athletics
Sox Slayers Even Carolina's FWS Behind Ackley, Davis
October 10, 2007 | Baseball
Oct. 10, 2007
CARY, N.C. - Sophomore All-America Dustin Ackley drove in a pair of runs and freshman right-hander Garrett Davis allowed just three hits over five innings, as the Sox Slayers evened North Carolina's intra-squad Fall World Series with a 4-2 win over the Carolina Blue Sox Wednesday at USA Baseball National Training Complex Stadium.
Ackley was 1-for-3 with an RBI triple and a sacrifice fly, and teammates Garrett Gore, Kyle Shelton, Seth Williams and Michael Knox each added two hits to lead a 10-hit Sox Slayer effort. Second baseman Kyle Seager had two of the Blue Sox five hits.
Davis (1-0) went five innings and allowed two runs, just one of which was earned. The Fremont, N.C., product struck out five and walked three before sophomore lefty Brian Moran worked three innings of one-hit, shutout relief. Freshman righty Nate Striz earned the save with a scoreless ninth.
Lefty Rob Catapano (0-1) made the start and took the loss for the Blue Sox after allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out seven. Reliever B.J. Dail struck out four over three innings of relief, and Matt Cox went a scoreless ninth.
The Sox Slayers jumped on Catapano for two runs in the first before he bounced back to fan two batters to leave the bases loaded. Gore started the rally with a one-out single to left center before Ackley drove him in with the first of four triples for the Sox Slayers. Shelton followed with a double to center to plate Ackley and push the advantage to 2-0.
After the Blue Sox cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning they came right back to tie the score in the third. In the first, Fedroff drew a one-out walk and scored from second on a wild throw to first by Davis. The Sox then score in the third on an RBI single by third baseman Chad Flack. Seager drew a two-out walk and move to third on a double by catcher Tim Federowicz before Flack singled to left to knot the score at two.
The Sox Slayers bounced back with a run in the fourth and fifth innings to regain a two-run cushion. Knox tripled to left center to lead off the fourth and scored on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Greg Holt, and Gore tripled to left center and scored on a sac fly by Ackley in the fifth to give the Slayers a 4-2 lead they would not relinquish.
Veterans Gore and Shelton have posted back-to-back multi-hit games to open the FWS.
The best-of-five series continues with game three at 6 p.m. Thursday.
