University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tar Heels Topple South Carolina, 9-6
June 8, 2007 | Baseball
June 8, 2007
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y JOEDY McCREARY AP Sports Writer
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina started its latest comeback a few innings earlier than usual. Good thing, too - this time the Tar Heels needed a much bigger rally.
Reid Fronk singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh to complete North Carolina's comeback from a six-run deficit, helping the Tar Heels beat South Carolina 9-6 on Friday night to take Game 1 of their best-of-three super regional series.
"We knew from the past that until you get 27 outs, the game's never over," third baseman Chad Flack said.
The Tar Heels (52-12) - who won the Chapel Hill Regional after consecutive ninth-inning bursts against East Carolina and Western Carolina - got things started in the sixth against the Gamecocks, scoring each of their runs with two outs to move within one win of their second straight College World Series.
"These kids know the situation," coach Mike Fox said. Trailing by six runs "deflates you, but you know there's some game to play, and you have to keep fighting. You can't let it get you down. The game's still not over yet."
Josh Horton had three doubles for North Carolina, one of just three national seeds left in the field of 16. The Tar Heels erased their 6-0 deficit by scoring three runs in the sixth and four in the seventh, tying the game on Jeff Jeffords' two-out, bases-loaded walk to No. 9 hitter Garrett Gore.
"We just had to change our approach, make the adjustments that we needed to make and have a couple of breaks here and there," Horton said.
Fronk then greeted reliever Will Atwood with a smash up the middle off second baseman Travis Jones' glove that scored Kyle Seager to make it 7-6. Two more runs scored when shortstop Reese Havens couldn't come up with Tim Fedroff's bases-loaded grounder.
"There's really nothing else I can say except that it's my fault," Havens said.
Rob Wooten (6-1) worked two-thirds of an inning for his third straight victory in the postseason, and Andrew Carignan pitched two innings for his 15th save for North Carolina.
The Tar Heels hope to avenge three years of postseason frustration against South Carolina with a win Saturday. The Gamecocks bounced the Tar Heels from three straight NCAA tournaments in 2002-04, all played in Columbia, S.C.
South Carolina took a 6-0 lead on Robbie Grinestaff's pinch-hit grand slam in the sixth, and James Darnell hit his 19th homer on the third pitch of the game. But the Gamecocks (45-19) _ who lead the nation with 112 home runs - couldn't make their big lead stand.
"They didn't beat us because we weren't at our best, but we didn't make it a great, great battle because we didn't play as well as we possibly can," coach Ray Tanner said. "That's the way the game is, and it will humble you."
Harris Honeycutt allowed one hit through five innings for South Carolina, then ran into trouble in the sixth and was pulled for Curtis Johnson (1-3), who allowed four runs in one inning.
"I can't really say anything bad about the bullpen or defense," Honeycutt said. "They've been there behind me all year, and now's not the time to start getting down on anybody."
Darnell gave South Carolina a 2-0 lead by sending starter Robert Woodard's third pitch of the game over the left-field fence. Woodard then retired 14 of the next 15 hitters he faced _ including 10 straight _ before the Gamecocks loaded the bases in the sixth to set up Grinestaff's drive.
"I made a mistake, right over the plate, and he hit it a long ways," Woodard said. "It was one of the more deflating results and pitches I've thrown in my career, but at the same time, I had all the faith in the rest of our team."
Woodard remained 22-0 in four seasons at cozy Boshamer Stadium. He allowed both of South Carolina's homers, but thanks to the big rally, he didn't factor in the decision.
