University of North Carolina Athletics
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Princeton
Facchinei, Flack Lead No. 3 Tar Heels Past Princeton
March 19, 2008 | Baseball
March 19, 2008
CARY, N.C. - Right-hander Mike Facchinei struck out a career-high eight batters, and first baseman Chad Flack broke open a tight game with a two-run home run in the seventh inning to lift No. 3 North Carolina to an 8-2 win over Princeton Wednesday at Cary's USA Baseball National Training Complex. With the victory, the Tar Heels (16-3) extended their winning streak to a season-best six games.
En route to his second career win, Facchinei (1-0) went 5 1/3 innings to mark his second-longest appearance as a Tar Heel. The Arden, N.C., native allowed only three hits and one walk and faced the minimum over his final 4 2/3 innings. Facchinei, who was making his sixth career start, set down the final nine batters he faced before lefty Brian Moran came on in the sixth. Moran and three other relievers combined for 4 2/3 shutout innings out of the bullpen.
Flack was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, and catcher Tim Federowicz also drove in two runs with a pair of sacrifice flies. Right fielder Tim Fedroff was 3-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored, and shortstop Ryan Graepel added two hits. Kyle Seager hit safely for the 15th straight game, while Dustin Ackley went 0-for-3 with two walks to snap his hitting streak at 22.
Princeton (6-6) was led by catcher Jack Murphy, who was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, and first baseman Adrian Turham, who also had two hits. Left-hander Langford Stuber (0-1) gave up three runs on four hits and three walks and took the loss.
After getting just two hits in Tuesday's shutout loss, Princeton grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run home run to right center by Murphy, but Carolina came back to tie the game with two of its own in the second to tie the game.
Flack started a two-out rally with a double down the left field line and scored on a single up the middle by second baseman Garrett Gore for his third RBI in the last two games. After center fielder Ben Bunting was hit by a pitch, Princeton shortstop Dan DeGeorge misplayed a groundball off the bat of Graepel, allowing Gore to score the tying run from second.
Carolina grabbed a one-run lead in the fifth on the first sacrifice fly by Federowicz. Fedroff started the rally with a leadoff single, designated hitter Kyle Shelton reached on a bunt single and Ackley walked to load the bases for Federowicz, who flied out to left center to score Fedroff and give the Tar Heels the 3-2 advantage.
After Colin Bates struck out two to strand a pair of Princeton runners in the top of the seventh, Flack connected on his second home run of the season to give Carolina a three-run cushion heading into the eighth. Seager drew a one-out walk, and Flack smacked the first pitch he saw from Tigers' reliever Brad Gemberling out to left center.
The Tar Heels tacked on three more in the eighth for the 8-2 final margin. Back-to-back base hits by Graepel and Fedroff put a pair in scoring position for Mark Fleury, who flied out to left for a sacrifice fly. After Ackley was intentionally walked, Federowicz also flew out to left for his second sac fly. Seager followed with an RBI double to left to drive in Carolina's eighth run and extend his hitting streak.
The Tar Heels are back in action this weekend for a three-game ACC series at Maryland beginning Friday.
