University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Miami
No. 2 Tar Heels Outlast No. 1 Miami To Take Series
May 17, 2008 | Baseball
May 17, 2008
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Tim Federowicz went 2-for-5 with three RBI and then recorded the game-ending strikeout with the tying run on third base to lift No. 2 North Carolina to a 12-11 win over No. 1 Miami and a series victory Saturday at Mark Light Field. Behind a home run and five RBI from Tim Fedroff and four hits and two RBI from Kyle Shelton, the Tar Heels (45-10, 22-7 ACC) built an eight-run lead through five innings and held off a late rally by the Hurricanes (43-8, 23-5) to win their third straight series against UM.
With the series-clinching victory, UNC matched school records for regular season (45) and Atlantic Coast Conference (22) victories. The Tar Heels, who have captured four of their last six regular season series against the nation's top-ranked team, also completed the regular season unbeaten in ACC weekend series for the first time since the league went to three-game sets in 1990.
Fedroff was 2-for-5 with a two-run double in the fourth and a three-run home run in the fifth to drive in a game-high five runs. In addition to his fourth four-hit game of the season, Shelton scored a career-high-tying three runs. Federowicz drove in his three runs with a second-inning double and a third-inning single, and Kyle Seager was 2-for-5 with two runs, two RBI and his UNC single-season record 26th double.
Right-hander Colin Bates (6-0) earned the win with 3 2/3 solid innings of relief work. He held the Hurricanes to two runs on five hits and struck out three. Rob Wooten worked the seventh and eighth innings before Federowicz closed for his first save of the season. He allowed the Canes to pull within a run on the fourth hit by Yonder Alonso but finished off the game with a strikeout of Dennis Raben with runners on the corners.
Alonso homered for the third straight day and went 4-for-5 with three RBI to lead Miami at the plate. Jemile Weeks added two hits and three runs scored, and Ryan Jackson drove in three runs.
Starter Enrique Garcia (5-2) allowed six runs - four earned - on eight hits over three innings for the Hurricanes, who dropped their first series of the season.
Miami scored first for the first time in the series on a two-run single by Jackson in the first. UNC starter Matt Harvey, who walked five in 1 2/3 innings, labored through his first inning on the mound with two walks and a throwing error on a failed pick off attempt to help load the bases for Jackson, who singled to center with two out to put the Canes on the board.
Carolina trimmed the lead in half with back-to-back doubles by Seager and Federowicz to open the second, but Miami added two more in the bottom of the inning to push its lead to 4-1. Harvey loaded the bases on three straight walks before Mark Sobolewski doubled to center off Bates to drive in two runs. UNC center fielder Seth Williams was in position to make the inning-ending catch but lost his footing and nearly made a catch from his knees to retire Sobolewski and keep the lead at a single run.
Federowicz's second run-scoring hit capped a three-run, two-out rally in the third for the Tar Heels. Singles by Shelton and Chad Flack put runners on the corners for Seager, who singled to right to score Shelton. An error on the play by Raben allowed both runners to move into scoring position, and Federowicz singled up the middle to plate two and tie the game at four.
UNC followed with four runs in the fourth to take an 8-4 lead. A Williams single, an error by Weeks and a walk to Dustin Ackley loaded the bases with no one out for Shelton, who singled to center off reliever David Gutierrez to give the Tar Heels their first lead of the day. Fedroff followed with a two-run double to left on the next pitch, and Seager added an RBI groundout to give Carolina a four-run cushion.
Four more two-out runs in the fifth gave Carolina 11 runs in a three-inning stretch and an eight-run lead. Mark Fleury doubled off the wall with two out to start the rally. Ackley drew his second walk, and Shelton came through with his fourth single of the day to score Fleury with the first run of the inning. Fedroff then connected on a three-run shot to left on an 0-1 pitch from David Gutierrez for his 11th home run and a 12-4 lead.
Miami cut the lead to 12-7 in the sixth on a two-run double down the left field line by Raben and a sacrifice fly by Jackson. Weeks and Alonso started the rally with back-to-back singles off Bates to open the inning and both scored on Raben's double.
Three more in the seventh brought the Canes with in two runs with two innings to play. Consecutive Tar Heel errors put Dave DiNatale on third base, and Yasmani Grandal came through with an RBI groundout. Alonso followed a Blake Tekotte single with a two-run shot to left off Wooten to trim the UNC lead to just 12-10 and set up the dramatic finish in the ninth.
Federowicz opened the bottom of the ninth with a walk and then hit weeks after a force out at second. Alonso singled to center to bring Miami within a run, but Federowicz induced a second force out and then fanned Raben to end the game.
With the regular season wrapped up, the Tar Heels turn to next week's Atlantic Coast Conference Championship, which opens Wednesday, May 21 at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
