University of North Carolina Athletics
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Virginia
No. 24 Cavaliers Take Rain-Shortened Game From No. 2 Tar Heels
May 11, 2008 | Baseball
May 11, 2008
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - A two-run single by Jeremy Farrell gave No. 24 Virginia a 5-4 lead over No. 2 North Carolina in the bottom of the sixth inning before heavy rains suspended play and eventually forced an end to a weather-shortened game Sunday at Davenport Field. The Tar Heels dropped to 42-9 and 20-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference with the loss, while the Cavaliers improved to 34-17 and 14-13 in conference play.
Rains forced a delay at 3:25 p.m., and the game was called just over an hour later.
Virginia's Neal Davis (4-0) earned the win despite allowing two runs in the top of the sixth. Carolina lefty Brian Moran (0-1) took the loss after allowing the go-ahead run in the bottom of the inning.
Dustin Ackley, Kyle Shelton and Tim Federowicz, who also got the final out in the sixth on the mound, each had two hits for Carolina. John Barr was the lone Cavalier with two hits on the afternoon.
Kyle Seager doubled in the sixth inning and to tie the UNC single-season school record with 25 doubles.
Shelton gave the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead in the third with a single to center field to score Ackley, who started the rally with a one-out double into the left field corner for his second hit of the day.
Virginia took the lead in the fourth with three runs, two of which came on an error on a potential inning-ending double play ball. After two walks by UNC starter Matt Harvey and a single by Barr loaded the bases with one out, Greg Miclat grounded to Seager, who made an errant toss to Garrett Gore at second that allowed two runs to score to give Virginia a 2-1 lead.
Patrick Wingfield followed with bunt single towards first base to plate the third run. After a third walk in the inning by Harvey, right-hander Colin Bates came on to force a bases-loaded fly out by Farrell to end the inning.
Carolina got one of the runs back in the fifth when Ackley walked, took third on a double to right center by Shelton and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Tim Fedroff to bring the Tar Heels within a run.
With starter Andrew Carraway done after five, UNC scored two runs off Davis in the sixth to grab a 4-3 lead. Seager opened the inning with his record-tying double and moved to third on a Federowicz groundout before pinch-hitter Ryan Graepel tied the game with a chopper through the left side. Gore followed with the go-ahead double to left center that scored Graepel all the way from first to give the Tar Heels the one-run lead.
With inclement weather threatening, Virginia went back in front on a two-run bloop single by Farrell with two out in the bottom of the sixth. Back-to-back singles from Tyler Cannon and Miclat started the rally, and a bunt by Wingfield moved both runners into scoring position. After an intentional walk to David Adams and a strikeout of Dan Grovatt by Moran, Farrell dropped a two-run single down the right field line to put the Cavaliers in front before the rains came.
Neither starter figured into the decision. Carraway went five innings and held the Tar Heels to two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three, and Harvey allowed three runs - two earned - on five hits and five walks over 3 2/3 innings. He struck out five before giving way to Bates with the bases loaded in the fourth.
UNC is back action Tuesday against Winthrop in the final regular season game at Cary's USA Baseball National Training Complex. First pitch for the Tar Heels and Eagles is slated for 6 p.m., and the game will be carried by both the Tar Heel Sports Network and ACC Select.
