University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
UNC Greensboro
No. 17 Tar Heels Edge Spartans 4-3
March 24, 2010 | Baseball
March 24, 2010
GREENSBORO, N.C. - A solo home run off the bat of Jesse Wierzbicki propelled No. 17 North Carolina over UNC Greensboro 4-3 Wednesday night in front of 1333 fans at UNC G Baseball Stadium. The Tar Heels (16-6, 2-4 ACC) rallied to score three runs in the eighth to defeat the Spartans (11-9). Carolina defeated UNC Greensboro for the second time this season.
Garrett Davis allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits while fanning three in four innings. Michael Morin (3-0) earned the win, throwing 1.1 shutout innings and allowing just one hit. Greg Holt earned his second save of the year, throwing 1.2 shutout innings. Zach Bernard, R.C. Orlan and Chris Munnelly all logged time on the mound. Munnelly threw 2.1 shutout innings in relief.
Spartan starter Colby Hyatt allowed just one run on seven hits, three walks and two strikeouts in six innings of work. Warren Slack (1-4) suffers the tough luck loss after allowing the unearned go-ahead run.
Offensively Wierzbicki's two hit and one RBI performance paced the Tar Heels. The home run was his fourth as a Tar Heel and team-leading fourth home run of the season. Brian Goodwin also registered two hits and one RBI en route to hitting his team-leading fourth triple of the season. Dillon Hazlett led the Tar Heels with three hits and Ryan Graepel added two.
The Spartans scored three runs in the first to jump out to a 3-0 lead. Two errors and a walk loaded the bases with no outs. Ed Jayjack earned a RBI sacrifice fly to score one run. UNC G plated two more on a RBI fielder's choice off the bat Lloyd Enzor. Catcher Zach Leach ripped an RBI single up the middle to score the Spartans' third run.
Davis settled in after the laborious first, benefiting from a terrific defensive play. Ben Bunting made a leaping catch at the wall to rob Chris Barker of a home run in the second frame.
The Tar Heels hit a few balls hard early, but the Spartans turned a few double plays to help Hyatt on the mound. Carolina finally got on the board in the fifth after a two-out walk to Tommy Coyle. Goodwin then laced his fourth triple of the year to right center to score Coyle and cut the Spartan lead to 3-1.
Bernard entered to pitch in the fifth, but his outing quickly ended after walking one on just four pitches. Munnelly then entered to pitch, but was charged an error after throwing a ball away on a well-executed bunt to place runners at second and third. A groundout, strikeout and another groundout allowed Munnelly to wriggle out of the bases loaded jam unscathed.
Munnelly continued to work into the sixth as the Spartans recorded their first hit since frame one in the sixth. Munnelly quickly ended the threat with a pair of fly outs to Goodwin in right field.
Munnelly worked into the seventh, but was relieved by Orlan. The freshman hit the first batter he faced to give UNC G runners at first and second with one out. Morin then entered the game and escaped the inning with a strikeout and fly out.
Matt Parish came on in relief in the eighth, but Wierzbicki hammered the Parrish offering down the left field line for a solo home run. The junior's home run sliced the Spartan lead to one. Parish then walked Seth Baldwin to end his outing.
Graepel ripped a single to left field off newly inserted pitcher Warren Slack to advance Baldwin to third. Baldwin then scored on a wild pitch to tie the score at three.
After a Hazlett single, the Tar Heels took the lead off an error by shortstop Eric Brindle. Graepel scored after Bunting hit a ball back to the Slack, who then retired Hazlett at second but Brindle's throw sailed to the right of the Spartan first baseman to advance Bunting to second.
Holt fanned two in the ninth to give the Tar Heels the win and his second save of the year.
