University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Michigan
No.12 Tar Heels Earn Series Sweep, Wallop Wolverines 9-1
March 7, 2010 | Baseball
March 7, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Junior Colin Bates allowed one earned run in 5.2 innings of work to lead No. 12 North Carolina over Michigan 9-1 Sunday in front of 2209 fans at Boshamer Stadium. Bates improves to 3-0 on the season and is perfect in three career starts on the mound. Ben Bunting and Ryan Graepel each posted three hits and two RBI, as North Carolina improves to 10-1 on the year. Michigan falls to 4-7 after the three-game series sweep.
The Tar Heel bullpen was spectacular in relief hurling 3.1 innings allowing only two hits, issuing no walks and striking out five. R.C. Orlan, Cody Penny, Zach Bernard, Bryant Gaines and Nate Striz all were impressive in relief. Gaines and Striz each made their first appearances of 2010 after recovering from minor off-season surgerys.
Michigan's Tyler Burgoon (2-1) suffers his first loss of the season after allowing six runs on eight Tar Heel hits. Reliever Brandon Sinnery also allowed three runs on five hits in just over an inning of relief work. The earned runs were the first Sinnery has allowed all season.
Offensively identical 3-for-4 and two RBI performances from Bunting and Graepel paced the Tar Heels. Carolina pounded out 14 hits as eight different Carolina batters hit safely in the game. Freshman Brian Goodwin ripped his second home run of the season, a line drive over the right center field fence. Jesse Wierzbicki and Chaz Frank each added two hits apiece.
Michigan got on the board early in the top of the first. A leadoff walk issued to Patrick Biondi followed by a hit and run put runners on first and third with no outs. Chris Berset then singled through the right side to score Biondi and give Michigan a 1-0 lead. Bates wriggled out of the inning with 4-6-3 double play.
Carolina responded right away in the bottom of the inning, scoring on a RBI groundout from Levi Michael and RBI triple from Wierzbicki. The Heels quickly regained the lead 2-1 and would never look back.
Bates labored early, but remained unscathed benefiting from timely strikeouts and another double play. The junior retired seven Wolverines in a row at one point as the Michigan stranded nine base runners.
Carolina added two more runs in the fourth on a RBI double from Graepel and sacrifice fly off the bat of Dillon Hazlett. The Tar Heels blew the game open though in the following inning.
The first pitch of the bottom of the sixth sailed over the right center field fence as Goodwin took the Sinnery offering deep for his second career home run. Back-to-back doubles from Frank and Graepel scored another run. A Hazlett hit and pinch-hit walk drawn by Seth Baldwin loaded the bases. Bunting then delivered a two RBI double down the left field line to score two more Tar Heel runs. Tommy Coyle laced an RBI single as the Heels plated five runs on six hits in the sixth frame.
Gaines allowed two hits in the eighth, but also struck out the side in his first appearance since April of 2009. Gaines has been recovering from off-season "Tommy John" surgery.
Nate Striz fanned one and recorded two groundouts to end the game in the ninth. Striz last appeared in a game in the final game of the 2009 College World Series. The junior has been recovering from minor off-season elbow surgery.
Carolina will play five games next weekend beginning Tuesday when they host William & Mary at 3 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels will play St. John's at the same time Wednesday and then travel to Durham, N.C. to challenge rival Duke next weekend.
