University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Georgia Tech
Woodard Claims Career Win Mark As Tar Heels Top Tech
May 11, 2007 | Baseball
May 11, 2007
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Right-hander Robert Woodard set a North Carolina record with his 31st career victory, and the No. 4 Tar Heels pounded out 15 hits, including two home runs, in a 10-3 win over No. 24 Georgia Tech Friday at Boshamer Stadium. Woodard allowed three runs over seven strong innings to surpass Michael Hoog's school record, established from 1987-90.
With the victory, the Tar Heels (40-10, 17-8 ACC) became just the fourth team in the nation to reach the 40-win mark and have done so for a school-record sixth straight season. Georgia Tech falls to 30-19 and 14-10 in the ACC with the loss.
Now 8-2 this season and 21-0 in his career at home, Woodard allowed eight hits and did not walk a batter en route to a 31-5 career mark. After suffering back-to-back losses for the first time in his career, Woodard becomes just the 16th pitcher in the 54-year history of ACC baseball to win 31 or more games. The Charlotte Myers Park product struck out three Friday to move within one strikeout of a tie for 10th all-time at UNC.
Woodard had plenty of offensive support, as the top three batters in the UNC lineup combined for eight RBI, and five Tar Heels recorded multi-hit games. First baseman Dustin Ackley, who was 2-for-3 with three RBI, and shortstop Josh Horton, who was 2-for-4 with two RBI, each hit two-run home runs. Catcher Tim Federowicz tallied three hits, and Chad Flack and Kyle Seager each added two hits. Horton now has four homers in the last seven games, and the Tar Heels have 13 long balls over the last five outings.
Center fielder Danny Payne went 4-for-5 with a solo home run to pace the Yellow Jackets' 11-hit night. Tech lefty David Duncan (6-3) allowed a season-high seven runs on nine hits over four innings.
The Jackets wasted little time getting on the board on the first, as Payne singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Matt Wieters, but the Tar Heels bounced back to score five times in the second to take a commanding lead for Woodard. After a Federowicz single started the rally, Horton belted a two-run homer to right center to put Carolina on the board. The Tar Heels then loaded the bases on a Flack single, a walk and a hit batter before left fielder Reid Fronk plated two with a double to center.
Ackley drove in the fifth and final run in the second with a single off Duncan's hand and then pushed the lead to 7-1 in the fourth with a two-run homer. Fronk was hit by a pitch with one out before Ackley laced a 1-0 pitch to right center for his seventh home run of the season.
Tech cut the lead to five in the fifth on an RBI fielder's choice by Jason Garofalo, but left runners on the corners when Woodard struck out Wieters looking to end the threat.
After Woodard worked out of the jam in top of the fifth, the Tar Heels put the game out of reach with three more runs in the bottom of the inning. Fronk drove in the first run with a bases-loaded sac fly to the fence in left, and center field Seth Williams followed with a two-run single to center to give UNC a 10-2 advantage.
The Tar Heels and Yellow Jackets will continue the three-game series at 1 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
