University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
St. John's
No. 2 Tar Heels Cruise Past St. John's, 6-2
March 1, 2008 | Baseball
March 1, 2008
ROCK HILL, S.C. - Second baseman Kyle Seager drove in three runs for the third straight day, and reliever Colin Bates tossed six shutout innings to lead No. 2 North Carolina past previously unbeaten St. John's, 6-2, Saturday at the Coca-Cola Classic at The Winthrop Ballpark. The Tar Heels (6-1) and Red Storm (6-1) will meet again at 11 a.m. Sunday for the tournament title.
Seager, who was 2-for-2 for his third straight multi-hit game, had two-out base hits in the first and third innings to plate Carolina's first three runs. In the process, he matched his career high with three RBI for the third straight day and fourth time this season. The Kannapolis, N.C., native has 13 RBI through seven games. First baseman Dustin Ackley went 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the sixth to push his hitting streak to 11 games.
In just his third career appearance, Bates (2-0) came on when starter Rob Catapano found himself in a jam in the fourth and shut down St. John's the rest of the way. The redshirt freshman struck out six batters and gave up just two hits and one walk en route to his team-best second win of the season.
St. John's left-hander Scott Barnes (1-1) went five-plus innings and held Carolina to just four hits but walked five and was charged with four runs. Designated hitter Paul Karmas was 2-for-4 to lead the Red Storm at the plate.
Seager continued his red-hot weekend with a two-run double in the first for his seventh and eighth RBI in Rock Hill and a 2-0 UNC lead. Right fielder Tim Fedroff and third baseman Chad Flack each drew walks before Seager doubled over the head of St. John's center fielder Brian Kemp to clear the bases.
The Red Storm came right back with its lone runs of the game in the top of the second courtesy of a double down the left field line by third baseman Greg Hopkins. Karmas doubled to start the rally and shortstop Jeff Grantham walked to set up Hopkins' two-run base hit.
In the third, Seager delieved his second straight two-out base hit to regain the lead for the Tar Heels. Ackley started the rally with a double in the left center field gap and crossed the plate on a single through the right side for Seager's third RBI of the day and a 3-2 Carolina advantage.
The Red Storm put its first two runners on in the fourth to chase Catapano, but could put push the tying run across against Bates, who loaded the bases with an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt but started a 1-2-3 double play on the very next batter and induced an inning-ending groundout to short to preserve the one-run cushion.
After a leadoff double by center fielder Seth Williams ended the day for Barnes, the Tar Heels broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth. Against Red Storm reliever Miguel Valcarcel, left fielder Ben Bunting sent Williams to third with a bloop double down the left field line, and pinch hitter Mark Fleury followed with a single up the middle to score Williams.
Fedroff added a fourth straight hit to drive in Bunting, and Ackley chipped in two batters later with a single up the middle to plate Fleury and give the Tar Heels the four-run lead they would not relinquish.
In his second career start, Catapano allowed two runs on five hits and two walks over three-plus innings. He struck out three.
