University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Virginia Tech
Michael, No. 1 Tar Heels Take Opener From Hokies, 7-3
March 13, 2009 | Baseball
March 13, 2009
BLACKSBURG, Va. - Freshman Levi Michael belted a go-ahead three-run home run in the seventh inning and drove in a career-best five runs to send No. 1 North Carolina to a 7-3 win over Virginia Tech Friday in an Atlantic Coast Conference series opener at English Field. All-America Dustin Ackley added three hits and homered for the fourth time in the last three games for the Tar Heels (13-2, 3-1 ACC).
Carolina All-America right-hander Alex White (3-0) fanned eight and allowed three runs (two earned) over six innings to claim his 22nd career victory. He scattered five hits and four walks and kept the Hokies off the scoreboard until the sixth. Colin Bates fanned four over the final three innings to earn his second save.
Michael, who has 11 RBI in the last four games, drove in his first with an RBI fielder's choice in the fifth, hit the key three-run homer in the seventh and followed with an RBI double in the eighth. He finished the afternoon 2-for-5 with two runs to go along with the five RBI.
Ackley went 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI on a solo homer in the first and a run-scoring single in the eighth. Kyle Seager was 2-for-3 with two walks for his fifth straight multi-hit game, and Ben Bunting was 2-for-4 with two runs scored from the leadoff spot.
The first four hitters in the UNC lineup accounted for nine hits and seven RBI.
Virginia Tech starter Rhett Ballard (3-1) went 6 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out five. He turned it over to Clark Labitan in the seventh, and Michael greeted him with the go-ahead three-run home run.
Steve Bumbry led the Hokies (10-5, 1-3 ACC) at the plate with two hits, including a three-run home run. Austin Wates also chipped in with two hits.
Ackley gave the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead in the first with a solo home run to right center - his fourth in his last seven trips to the plate - on a 2-2 offering from Ballard. The solo shot marked the third homer for Ackley in four career games in Blacksburg.
Carolina doubled its lead in the fifth when Mike Cavasinni doubled down the left field line, moved to third on a Bunting single and scored on Michael's run-scoring fielder's choice.
The Hokies found the scoring column and grabbed their first lead of the afternoon on one swing of the bat by Bumbry in the sixth. Anthony Sosnoskie reached on a throwing error by Michael, and Steve Domecus singled through the right side to put runners on the corners for Bumbry, who hit a 1-0 pitch from White out to right center for a his fourth home run and a 3-2 Virginia Tech lead.
Michael quickly erased the Hokies' advantage in the seventh when he belted a three-run shot over the scoreboard in right off Labitan. Tarron Robinson and Bunting drew one-out walks, and Michael took care of the rest with his team-best fifth homer of the season.
The Welcome, N.C., product struck again in the eighth when he doubled home Bunting from second with a two-out base hit. Ackley followed with a single through the left side to score Michael and give the Tar Heels a 7-3 lead they would not relinquish.
The series is scheduled to continue at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
