University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
%20(1).png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
North Florida
No. 2 Carolina Tops UNF To Reach 40-Win Mark
May 7, 2008 | Baseball
May 7, 2008
CARY, N.C. - Dustin Ackley and Tim Fedroff each drove in three runs to lead No. 2 North Carolina to an 11-5 come-from-behind win over North Florida and its 40th victory of the season Wednesday at Cary's USA Baseball National Training Complex. At 40-8 through 48 games, this year's Tar Heels have matched the 2006 squad as the second-quickest in school history to 40 wins.
Carolina, who joins Texas A&M and Florida State as the only 40-win teams in the country, extended its school-record stretch of 40-victory seasons to seven.
Paced by Ackley and Fedroff's run production, UNC rallied from a four-run deficit to match its biggest comeback victory of the season. Seven Tar Heels posted multi-hit games, including Garrett Gore, who was 3-for-3 with three runs and an RBI. Ackley, Kyle Shelton, Kyle Seager, Tim Federowicz, Brett Thomas and Seth Williams each chipped in with two of Carolina's 17 base hits on the night.
Right-hander Colin Bates (5-0) picked up the win for the Tar Heels with 1 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Righty Nate Striz followed with two scoreless frames. Left-hander Logan Munson, righty Rob Wooten and Federowicz, who struck out the side in the ninth, each worked a scoreless inning.
UNF starter Jonathan Turner (0-3) allowed six runs on seven hits and a walk over 3 2/3 innings. The Ospreys dropped to 26-22 with the loss.
Thanks to a Travis Martin RBI single, Carolina found itself in a first-inning deficit for the second straight game. After doubles by Seager and Federowicz failed to result in a run, Thomas tied the game with the third straight double for the Tar Heels, a shot to right that caromed off the top of the wall.
UNF came right back with four runs in the top of the third to end the day for UNC starter Patrick Johnson, who allowed a career-high five runs over 2 2/3 innings. Johnson hit Preston Hale with two outs to start the rally, and the next five batters reached base to give the Ospreys a 5-1 lead. T.J. Gaudy had the key base hit, a two-run single that chased Johnson from the game, and Andrew Hannon and Robbie Collier also added run-scoring singles.
The Tar Heels trimmed the lead to two in the bottom of the inning with the help of a pair of UNF errors. Singles by Gore and Shelton put runners on the corners, and Fedroff followed with an RBI fielder's choice to plate the first run. A throwing error by North Florida shortstop Chad Knight on the play allowed Shelton to reach second base safely. A second throwing error by catcher Michael Gropper on a failed pickoff attempt then put runners in scoring position for Chad Flack, who lofted a sacrifice fly to left field to cut Carolina's deficit to 5-3.
Carolina went in front in the fourth with a two-out rally that was capped by a go-ahead two-run single by Fedroff. A walk to Williams, a single by Gore and a wild pitch put a pair in scoring position for Ackley, who dropped a two-run double into left center to knot the score at five. Shelton then legged out an infield single and swiped second to put runners in scoring position for Fedroff, who singled through the left side to lift the Tar Heels to a 7-5 lead.
Carolina broke the game open in the fifth with four more runs to grab an 11-5 advantage. Singles from Seager, Thomas and Williams loaded the bases before a wild pitch from reliever Spencer Jones scored the first run of the frame. Gore and Ackley followed with RBI singles and a second wild pitch in the inning gave UNC a six-run cushion through five.
The Tar Heels return to ACC action this weekend for a three-game series at No. 24 Virginia. Games are slated for 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday, and a webast of all three will be available live and on-demand via ACC Select.
