University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Duke
Blue Devils Edge No. 1 Carolina, 5-4
March 21, 2009 | Baseball
March 21, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Duke's Andrew Wolcott allowed just one earned run over seven-plus innings, and No. 1 North Carolina committed a season-high four errors in a 5-4 loss to the Blue Devils Saturday at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels (17-3, 5-2 ACC) saw a nine-game winning streak snapped but will go for the series win and a point towards the Carlyle Cup at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Wolcott (4-0) went seven-plus innings and held the Tar Heels to three runs, just one of which was earned, on six hits and two walks. He struck out five and earned his second straight win over UNC. Alex Hassan worked the ninth to earn his fourth save for Duke (13-7, 4-4 ACC).
Carolina starter Adam Warren (3-1) went 5 2/3 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks. He retired nine of the final 12 batters he faced, including eight straight at one point, before Brian Moran entered in the sixth. The loss was just the third of Warren's career.
The Tar Heels' four errors led to three unearned runs for the Blue Devils. Hassan and Matt Williams had three hits apiece, and Tim Sherlock hit a two-run home run to lead Duke at the plate.
All-America Dustin Ackley went 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI, and All-America Kyle Seager added two hits. With five hits in the series, Ackley is now sixth all-time at Carolina with 268 career hits.
Carolina still had a chance to win the game in the ninth but left the bases loaded for the second time on the afternoon. Ryan Graepel walked and scored on Ackley's third hit to bring the Tar Heels within a run. Seager singled, and Garrett Gore reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases before pinch-hitter Tarron Robinson flew out to left to end the game.
After Duke grabbed a first-inning lead with an unearned run on Nate Freiman's RBI groundout, Sherlock gave the Blue Devils a three-run cushion with his first home run and the first allowed this season by Warren in the second. Jake Lemmerman drew a leadoff walk, and Sherlock followed with a two-run shot to right center.
The Tar Heels left the bases loaded in the third when Gore flied out to the warning track and went in order in each of the next three frames before finally breaking through in the seventh.
Mark Fleury drew a leadoff walk, and a throwing error by Duke second baseman Gabriel Saade on a Mike Cavasinni fielder's choice put two in scoring position with no outs. Graepel then sent a chopper down the left field line to score both runners and pull Carolina within a single run.
Duke added a run in the eighth when Seager's high throw to the plate allowed Hassan to score from third on a fielder's choice off the bat of Frieman, but the Tar Heels came right back in the bottom of the inning creep within a run once again.
After Ackley singled, Seager drilled Michael Ness' first pitch into left for a double to put two in scoring position with nobody out. Gore followed with an RBI groundout to short to trim the lead to 4-3. Seager was thrown out at home trying to score on a Cavasinni grounder to second, and the tying run was stranded at second.
The Blue Devils pushed their lead back to two in the ninth with a third unearned run. Ryan McCurdy reached on a fielding miscue by Colin Bates and came around to score when Freiman was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, extending Duke's advantage to 5-3.
The series concludes at 1 p.m. Sunday with Matt Harvey on the mound for Carolina. The game will be a postgame autograph session for the Tar Heels.
