University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Maryland
No. 3 Tar Heels Take Opener From Maryland, 6-3
May 18, 2007 | Baseball
May 18, 2007
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - No. 3 North Carolina took advantage of three late Maryland errors to score a 6-3 victory Friday in a tightly-contested series opener at Shipley Field. The Tar Heels (43-11, 19-9 ACC) got 3 2/3 hitless innings from their bullpen and three hits each from Dustin Ackley, Garrett Gore and Tim Federowicz to claim their eighth straight road win over the Terrapins (26-28, 7-21 ACC).
With the game tied at three after seven, Carolina's Mike Cavasinni scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error by Maryland shortstop Dan Melvin in the eighth. Two more Terrapin errors in the ninth led to a pair of insurance runs for the Tar Heels. Reid Fronk reached on an error and scored on an RBI fielder's choice from Ackley, who then crossed the plate on a pinch-hit double down the left field line by Kyle Shelton for a three-run cushion.
Ackley was 3-for-5 with his team-best 60th RBI and extended his current hitting streak to 10 games. Gore matched a career-high three hits for second straight start, and Federowicz 3-for-3 with a game-high two RBI. He has now driven in 55 runs on the season.
Right-hander Rob Wooten (3-0) retired eight of the nine batters he faced to earn the win in relief. He came one with the bases loaded in the sixth and did walk in a run but struck out two to keep the damage to a minimum. Wooten then set down six straight over the seventh and eighth innings before closer Andrew Carignan struck out the side in the ninth to earn his 11th save.
Lefty Casey Baron (4-5) pitched well over 7 1/3 for the Terps, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits and one walk but took the loss. Melvin, Gerry Spessard and Chad Durakis each had two hits for Maryland.
Senior right-hander Robert Woodard went 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits and a career high-tying four walks. He also fanned four to move to ninth all-time at Carolina with 242 career strikeouts and is now the only pitcher in Carolina's career top 10 in wins, winning percentage, innings and strikeouts.
Melvin doubled to right and scored on a single to left center by Spessard to give Maryland a 1-0 lead in the first, but Carolina came back with two in the third to take its first lead of the night.
Catcher Benji Johnson led off the inning with a double to center and crossed the plate on an RBI single up the middle by Gore, who then took third on Ackley's second base hit of the game and scored on a sacrifice fly by Federowicz to give the Tar Heels a 2-1 advantage.
Maryland tied the game in the fourth without a hit, as Durakis was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, took second on a walk, third on a sacrifice bunt and then scored on an RBI groundout by second baseman Steve Braun.
Back-to-back-to-back two-out singles by the Tar Heels regained the lead in the fifth. Gore singled to center and Ackley legged out an infield hit before Federowicz singled to right to drive in his second run of the ninth and give Carolina a 3-2 lead.
The Terps needed just one hit in the sixth to come back and tie the game for the second time. Durakis singled for the second time in the game and three walks, including two from Woodard, tied the game. Wooten came on with the bases loaded and struck out two to end the inning but also walked A.J. Casario to plate Durakis and tie the score at three.
The Tar Heels and Terrapins will continue the three-game series with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday.
