University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Virginia Tech
No. 1 Carolina Handles Hokies, 13-5
March 15, 2009 | Baseball
March 15, 2009
BLACKSBURG, Va. - No. 1 North Carolina pounded out 14 hits, including three each from Dustin Ackley, Mike Cavasinni and Levi Michael, en route to a 13-5 win over Virginia Tech Sunday at English Field. The Tar Heels (14-2, 4-1 ACC) also got a grand slam from Mark Fleury and three RBI from Garrett Gore to sweep the rain-shortened series and claim their sixth straight win.
UNC right-hander Adam Warren (3-0) pitched five-plus innings, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out three and became just the sixth pitcher in school history to reach the 25-win mark with the victory. Righty Matt Harvey, who was slated to start game three for the Tar Heels, came on in the sixth and allowed two runs on two hits over four innings. He fanned five to earn his first career save.
Virginia Tech starter Justin Wright (1-1) left the game after throwing just four pitches in the first due to injury.
Ackley went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI for his second three-hit game of the weekend. Cavasinni's three hits were a season best, and he added two runs, two walks and two of the Tar Heels' eight stolen bases, which marked the most by UNC since 2002.
Michael was 3-for-5 with three runs, while Gore went 2-for-5 with three RBI as the fourth Tar Heel with a multi-hit afternoon.
Steve Domecus and Buddy Sosnoskie had two hits apiece for the Hokies (10-6, 1-4 ACC).
Fleury's second grand slam of the season gave Warren a 4-0 lead before he threw his first pitch. Michael singled up the middle, Ackley doubled down the right field line and Kyle Seager walked to load the bases for Fleury, who sent a 2-2 offering from Marc Zecchino down the right field line for his career-best fourth home run of the year.
After Carolina extended the lead to 5-0 in the fourth when Cavasinni singled and scored on Ben Bunting's sacrifice fly, the Hokies got on the board in the fifth. Ty Hohman doubled down the left field line and scored on an RBI single to left center from Buddy Sosnoskie to bring Tech within four again.
Virginia Tech scored two more in the sixth to creep within two. Steve Bumbry and Austin Wates singled to put runners on the corners for Anthony Sosnoskie, who singled to center to drive in the first run and end the day for Warren. Hohman plated the second with a sacrifice fly off Harvey to cut the Carolina lead to 5-3.
The Tar Heels manufactured a run in the seventh when Michael walked, stole second, took third as Seager reached on an error and scored when Gore legged out an RBI infield single to short.
After the Hokies got back within two once again in the bottom of the eighth, Carolina sent 12 men to the plate and broke things open with seven runs in the top of the ninth for its second seven-run inning of the week.
Three straight singles by Michael, Ackley and Seager loaded the bases before Gore singled up the middle to score two. Ryan Graepel reached on an error to drive in a run No. 3, and bases-loaded walks to Brett Thomas and Ben Bunting pushed the lead to 11-4. Ackley singled up the middle to close the scoring with his third hit of the afternoon and sixth of the weekend.
The Tar Heels are back in action for a two-game series with Princeton beginning Tuesday at 3 p.m.
