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No. 12 North Carolina Earns Wild Victory Over Michigan 7-6
March 6, 2010 | Baseball
March 6, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Freshman Chaz Frank went 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored to lead No. 12 North Carolina over Michigan 7-6 Saturday in front of 1662 fans at Boshamer Stadium. The two teams combined for 24 hits and 26 runners left on base in the eventful game. Patrick Johnson (2-1) earned the victory allowing one run on six hits in six innings. Carolina improves to 8-1 and guarantees a series victory with the win, while Michigan falls to 4-6 on the year.
Johnson pitched six effective innings and was assisted by two Tar Heel double plays. Four walks plagued his outing, but the junior was still able to earn his second victory of the season.
Jimmy Messer, Chris Munnelly and Greg Holt all pitched in relief. Messer allowed two runs and Munnelly three, but Holt was able to shut the door in the ninth fanning two to end the game. Holt earns his first save of the season and second career save.
Matt Miller (0-2) suffers the tough loss for the Wolverines. Miller scattered ten hits and allowed four earned runs in three innings of work. Relievers Matt Gerbe, Jeff DeClaro and Kevin Vangheluwe all were masterful in relief. The only Tar Heel run scored after Miller left the game was on a balk in the eighth inning.
Offensively Frank's 3-for-4 line and Jesse Wierzbicki's 2-for-4 and two RBI performance paced the Tar Heels. Carolina pounded out 12 hits, but left 14 runners on base including a multitude of runners in scoring position.
Carolina darted out two a 4-0 lead after three innings of play. Mike Cavasinni's RBI single scored Frank in the second. Frank and Wierzbicki both laced RBI singles in the third to extend the lead.
Michigan scored their first run in the top of the fourth on a RBI single off the bat of Nick Urban. North Carolina added two more runs in the bottom of the inning on an error by the Wolverine second baseman. Two runs scored on a sharply hit ball off the bat of Ryan Graepel that went off the body of the Wolverine second baseman. The two runs scored on what could have been an inning ending double play.
After a pair of scoreless frames the wild play ensued in the seventh inning. After a Derek Dennis double to right center, a single up the middle off the bat of Patrick Biondi ricocheted off the glove of second baseman Tommy Coyle trickling into left center field. Biondi's rare up the middle triple scored Dennis. A sacrifice fly in the following at bat scored Biondi and further cut the Tar Heel lead to 6-3.
Michigan again inched towards the Carolina lead in the top of the eighth on an RBI single from Biondi. Nick Urban was hit by a pitch in the inning when he squared to bunt. The pitch was thought to be ruled a strike, but the Wolverines quickly had two base runners with no outs. Munnelly ended the inning striking out the side, with only one blemish - the RBI single from Biondi to cut the lead to 6-4. Graepel lead off the bottom of the eighth with a single through the left side and later stole second. A perfect sacrifice bunt from Frank moved Graepel to third and then Graepel later scored on a balk from pitcher Kevin Vangheluwe. The balk that allowed another Tar Heel run would prove to be the game winner.
Michigan threatened for the second time in as many days in the ninth. Chris Berset hit a towering two-run home run off Munnelly to slice the Carolina lead to 7-6. Holt then relieved Munnelly and immediately allowed an infield single. The juniors then settled in two strike out two Wolverine batters and give the Tar Heels a narrow victory 7-6.
Michigan and North Carolina will conclude their three game series tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium.
