University of North Carolina Athletics
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Florida Atlantic
Williams, Ackley Slug No. 2 Tar Heels Past FAU, 7-1
February 22, 2008 | Baseball
Feb. 22, 2008
BOCA RATON, Fla. - Senior center fielder Seth Williams and sophomore left fielder Dustin Ackley hit two home runs apiece to lead No. 2 North Carolina to a 7-1 season-opening win over Florida Atlantic Friday at FAU Stadium. Sophomore right-hander Alex White picked up the victory for the Tar Heels, who improved to 10-0 in season openers under head coach Mike Fox.
The two-homer effort was a career-first for Williams, who had three hits and matched a career best with four RBI. Ackley equaled a career high with four hits for the sixth occasion and homered twice for the second time in his career. He added three runs scored and two RBI.
White (1-0) struck out six and allowed one unearned run on five hits and two walks to snap a three-start losing streak dating to last season. The Tar Heels got 3 1/3 shutout innings from relievers Rob Wooten, Ryan Leach and Nate Striz to close out the victory, which was No. 399 at Carolina for Fox.
FAU starter Mickey Storey (0-1) went 4 1/3 innings, scattering four hits and four walks, while striking out three. He allowed three runs, including two solo homers. Four different Owls each had two hits on the night.
Ackley, the 2007 national freshman of the year, picked up where he left off last season with a solo shot in the top of the first. The Walnut Cove, N.C., native belted a 1-0 offering from Storey out to right for his first homer of the night.
White worked out of trouble early, stranding two in the first and allowing a leadoff double in the second. He bounced back to strike out the side, holding Travis Ozga at second to preserve the one-run lead.
After the Tar Heels left runners on the corners in the third, Williams connected on Carolina's second solo home run to lead off the fourth. He sent a 1-1 pitch from Storey deep to left for the first of his two homers.
In the fifth, right fielder Tim Fedroff walked and scored on a Kyle Seager RBI groundout for a 3-0 lead, and Williams followed with a towering homer to left for his 27th career home run and a six-run cushion for White and the Tar Heels. Ackley also added his second hit of the night in the four-run inning.
FAU got on the board with an unearned run in the sixth, but Wooten came on to fan pinch hitter Nick Criaris with the bases loaded to end the Owls' threat.
Carolina quickly got that run back in the top of the seventh when Ackley hit a 1-2 pitch out to left for his fifth home run in his last five games played dating to last season.
Friday's game marked the collegiate debuts for Zeke Blanton, who pinch ran in the eighth inning, and pitchers Leach and Striz, who worked the eighth and ninth innings. Sophomore Mark Fleury made his first career start at designated hitter. Striz struck out the side in the ninth.
The series continues at 4 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday with junior right-hander Adam Warren and sophomore lefty Rob Catapano set to start for the Tar Heels.
