University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
East Carolina
No. 4 Tar Heels Top East Carolina, 5-1
May 9, 2007 | Baseball
May 9, 2007
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Sophomore Tim Federowicz hit one of three home runs for No. 4 North Carolina and struck out a career-high six batters in 2 1/3 innings in a 5-1 win over No. 30 East Carolina Wednesday at Clark-LeClair Stadium. The Tar Heels (39-10) swept the two-game season series from the Pirates (32-17) and have won the last seven meetings.
In addition to Federowicz, third baseman Chad Flack and left fielder Reid Fronk each went deep to give Carolina 11 home runs in the last four games. Fronk has four home runs over this stretch, while Flack homered for the second straight night.
In just his fifth start in 106 career games, senior right-hander Matt Danford (4-0) struck out a season-high five batters over 3 1/3 innings in a predetermined staff outing, which saw the Tar Heels match a season high with 17 strikeouts. Danford allowed one run on two hits and two walks.
One of six relievers for the Tar Heels, Federowicz worked out of a jam in the fourth with two strikeouts and came back to fan the side in the fifth. He allowed two hits and one walk. Junior Andrew Carignan struck out three in 1 1/3 innings, and Greenville native Alex White fanned two in the ninth in his first career relief appearance.
Danford's start was his first since an April 5, 2006, win over Davidson and his second at East Carolina. He also picked up a win over the Pirates with five shutout innings in 2003.
ECU lefty Jeff Ostrander (2-1) allowed five runs - all on homers - over 4 2/3 innings to take the loss. The Pirates' bullpen allowed just two hits over 4 1/3 scoreless innings.
Led by center fielder Harrison Eldridge's two hits, the ECU outhit Carolina, 8-7. Seven different Tar Heels hit safely, including center fielder Seth Williams, who pushed his season-best hitting streak to nine games.
UNC took a 3-0 lead after two the homers from Federowicz and Flack. First baseman Dustin Ackley started a two-out rally in the first with a single up the middle, and Federowicz followed with a two-run blast down the left field line on a 2-1 pitch from Ostrander for his fourth homer of the year.
In the second, Flack belted a solo shot to left field, also on a 2-1 offering, for his fifth home run of the year and his second in as many games. He also went deep in his final at-bat of Tuesday's game at Elon for homers in back-to-back trips to the plate. Flack's 33 career home runs are 10th in Carolina history.
The Pirates got on the board in the fourth when right fielder Ryan Tousley doubled to right off Danford and scored on a single through the right side by third baseman Jake Dean off reliever Rob Catapano. Federowicz then came on to strike out the final two batters to strand two on base and preserve the lead.
Carolina answered in the fifth with a two-run shot from Fronk to push the lead to 5-1. After second baseman Kyle Seager started the rally with a two-out single, Fronk clubbed a no-doubter out to right for his seventh home run on the year, which put an end the night for Ostrander.
The Tar Heels are back in action at home this weekend for a three-game set against No. 24 Georgia Tech beginning Friday.
