University of North Carolina Athletics
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Maryland
Ackley, Williams Lead No. 3 Tar Heels Past Maryland, 14-1
March 22, 2008 | Baseball
March 22, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - First baseman Dustin Ackley and center fielder Seth Williams each homered and combined to drive in seven runs in a 14-1 win for No. 3 North Carolina over Maryland Saturday at Shipley Field. The Tar Heels (17-4, 6-2 ACC) pounded out a season-high 18 hits and posted a pair of five-run innings to even the three-game series.
Ackley was 2-for-3 with three runs and four RBI on a two-run home run in the third and a two-run double in the eighth, while Williams was 2-for-5 with three runs and three RBI. He homered in the second for Carolina's first run of the day and drove in two more with a double in the third. Ackley and Williams were two of seven Tar Heels with two or more hits on the day.
Designated hitter Tim Federowicz and right fielder Tim Fedroff tallied three hits apiece, while second baseman Kyle Seager, third baseman Chad Flack and catcher Mark Fleury each added two hits. Fedroff, Seager and Fleury also drove in two runs apiece. With two base hits Saturday and five on the weekend, Flack moved past associate head coach Chad Holbrook for fourth on Carolina's career hit list with 274.
With plenty of run support, junior right-hander Adam Warren (4-0) won his fourth straight start and ran his career record to 17-0 with a season-best seven strikeouts over six innings. He scattered seven hits and three walks but picked up key outs when he needed to and stranded seven Maryland base runners. Relievers Nate Striz, Logan Munson and Rob Wooten combined for three shutout innings out of the bullpen.
Maryland starter Ian Schwalenberg (0-1) struck out three over two-plus innings and was charged with two runs on three hits and four walks. Second baseman Steve Braun and left fielder Gerry Spessard had two hits each for the Terps (11-10, 2-6 ACC).
After leaving the bases loaded in the first, Carolina got on the board in the second courtesy of a leadoff home run to center field by Williams on a 2-2 pitch from Schwalenberg. The homer pushed Williams' hitting streak to 12 games, which is just two shy of his career-best 14-game streak in 2005.
The Tar Heels continued to pour it on in the third with five more runs capped by Ackley's two-run homer. Three straight singles opened the scoring, with Fleury driving in the first run with a base hit through the right side. Williams followed with his second straight extra-base hit - a double to left field - to drive in both Flack, who singled, and Fleury. After reliever Maryland Kevin Biringer picked up two outs, Ackley belted a 1-1 offering to right for his first home run since Feb. 24 and a 6-0 lead.
Maryland came back with a run in the bottom of the inning on a Jensen Pupa sacrifice fly, but Warren buckled down to strand runners at the corners.
Carolina tacked on two more in the sixth to grab an 8-1 lead. Ackley led off with his third walk of the day, and Fedroff followed with a double to put a pair of runners into scoring position. Back-to-back walks to Federowicz and Flack plated Ackley, and Fleury followed with an RBI groundout to second to score Fedroff.
The Tar Heels added a run in the seventh inning when pinch hitter Kyle Shelton drew a leadoff walk and scored on an RBI single through the right side by Seager, who extended his career-best hitting streak to 17 games.
UNC scored five runs for the second time in the eighth to put the game away. Singles by Flack and Shelton and a walk to Williams loaded the bases for Ackley who singled to drive in his third and fourth runs of the afternoon. Fedroff's second double of the day scored two more, and Seager followed with his second straight base hit - a double off the wall in center - to drive in the final run of the inning.
The series wraps up at 1 p.m. Sunday with freshman right-hander Matt Harvey on the mound for the Tar Heels.
