University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Liberty
No. 1 North Carolina Rebounds With 9-5 Win Over Liberty
February 25, 2009 | Baseball
Feb. 25, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The heart of the order combined to drive in eight runs in a 9-5 win for No. 1 North Carolina over Liberty Wednesday at Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium. Mark Fleury belted a two-run home run, and Garrett Gore and Kyle Seager each doubled and drove in three to help Carolina (4-1) bounce back from its first loss of the season.
Seager was 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI, Gore went 2-for-5 with his second three-RBI game of the season and Fleury was 2-for-3 with two walks and the two-run homer in the third. All-America Dustin Ackley tripled home a run in his first trip to the plate, walked in his next four appearances and scored three runs on the afternoon.
Left-hander Logan Munson (1-0) worked out a jam in the fourth and did not allow a hit in the fifth or sixth to earn his first victory. He worked a career-long 2 1/3 innings and struck out a career-high three batters. Ryan Leach, Colin Bates, Jimmy Messer and Nate Striz followed with scoreless stints out of the bullpen.
In his first career start, UNC right-hander Bryant Gaines established career bests of five strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings but was charged with five runs on four hits and three walks.
Liberty right-hander Andrew Wilson (1-1) surrendered two runs over two innings and took the loss.
After suffering their first set-back of the season Tuesday, the Tar Heels wasted little time getting in the scoring column as Levi Michael reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a triple off the wall in right center by Ackley in the first. Seager followed with an RBI groundout to the right side to score Ackley and give UNC a 2-0 lead after one.
In the Carolina half of the third, a walk to Ackley, a single by Seager and a Liberty throwing error put two in scoring position for Gore, who doubled to right center to double the lead. Fleury followed with his first homer of the year - a two-run shot to right center on a 2-2 offering from Shawn Teufel - for a 6-0 advantage.
Liberty struck for five in the fourth to trim the lead to a single run. Tyler Bream broke up the shutout bid when he took Gaines out to right for a two-out, two-run homer. A walk and Matt Williams double put two in scoring position for Curran Redal, who tripled to right center to score both runners. Tim Rotola followed win an RBI infield single to close the scoring for the Flames.
The middle of the order came through again for the Tar Heels in the bottom of the inning to extend the lead once again. Ackley drew a two-out walk and scored all the way from first on a double to left from Seager, who alertly took third on the throw home. Gore then served a single to right to drive in Seager to lift UNC to an 8-5 lead.
Ryan Graepel singled and scored after three straight walks to give the Tar Heels an insurance run in the seventh.
Carolina is back in action for a three-game set with Seton Hall beginning Friday at 3 p.m. The Tar Heels and Pirates will also square off at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
