University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
NC State
No. 1 Tar Heels Outlast State, 5-2
May 9, 2009 | Baseball
May 9, 2009
RALEIGH, N.C. - Adam Warren and Brian Moran combined on a four-hitter as No. 1 North Carolina evened its weekend series with NC State with a 5-2 victory Saturday at Doak Field. The Tar Heels (38-12, 17-8 ACC) managed just three hits of their own but took advantage of 11 walks and three hit batters by Wolfpack pitching.
After the start of the game was delayed 80 minutes due to inclement weather, Warren (6-2) allowed two runs on two hits in the first but retired the next nine batters he faced and blanked State (23-28, 9-17 ACC) for the next 4 1/3 innings on just two hits. He struck out seven and gave up two runs on four hits and three walks over 5 1/3.
Saturday marked the third time in the last four starts that Warren allowed two or more runs in the first and kept the opposition off the scoreboard for the rest of his outing. He also did against Florida State and Miami. Warren's win was the 28th of his career, which is tied with Jim Dougherty for third in school history.
Moran retired all 11 batters he faced to earn his third save with three strikeouts over the final 3 2/3 innings.
The Tar Heels plated five runs without an RBI base hit, scoring twice on bases-loaded walks, twice on base-loaded hit by pitches and once on a passed ball. Ryan Graepel drove in two runs with a bases-loaded free pass in the third and a base-loaded hit by pitch in the seventh.
Dustin Ackley tripled and scored two runs, and Kyle Seager drew three walks, scored twice and helped keep State off the scoreboard after the first with stellar defense at third base
State lefty John Lambert (1-4) held the Tar Heels to just one hit over 6 1/3 but issued nine walks and hit a batter, which led to three of the five Carolina runs. Lambert struck out a career-best 10.
In the bottom of the first, Andrew Ciencin delivered a two-run single to stake the Pack to an early lead. Warren issued a leadoff walk to Kyle Wilson, Pratt Maynard's grounder found its way through the left side for a single and Pat Ferguson drew a free pass to load the bases. Ciencin then sent a chopper out of the reach of Warren and through the middle to score two. The New Bern right-hander bounced back to set down the next two to leave runners at second and third and limit the first-inning damage.
Lambert issued five walks and hit a batter in the third to give the Tar Heels their first lead of the series at 3-2 without a base hit. After Ben Bunting drew a leadoff free pass, Ackley and Seager walked for the second time to load the bases for Levi Michael, who was hit by Lambert's first offering to score the first run of the weekend for Carolina.
Mark Fleury and Graepel then drew run-scoring walks on nine pitches before Lambert, who threw 37 pitches in the frame, picked up the final two outs of the inning. The Tar Heels left the bases loaded for the third time in the series.
State threatened in the sixth when a hit batter and a Russell Wilson single ended the night for Warren, but Moran needed just eight pitches to retire the next two batters and preserve the 3-2 Tar Heel lead. Seager made a key stop on a hot shot off the bat of Drew Poulk and threw him out at first for the second out. Moran then got Dallas Poulk to foul out to Seager, and State never had another base runner the rest of the way.
Carolina added some insurance in the seventh when Graepel was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in his second run of the night. Jake Kensmoe hit Seager, Michael singled up the middle for UNC's second hit of the night and Fleury walked to load the bases. Kyle Rutter's first offering out of the bullpen plunked Graepel to drive in a run, but the Tar Heels squandered a chance to break the game open, leaving the bases loaded once again.
After making a diving catch in center to end the eighth, Ackley tripled to right center off reliever Grant Sasser and scored on a passed ball to boost Carolina's lead to 5-2 in the ninth. The triple was the 25th of the season for the Tar Heels, establishing a new school record. The previous mark of 24 was set in 1948 and matched last season.
The series concludes at 2 p.m. Sunday, and the finale will air on the Tar Heel Sports Network and ACC Select.
