University of North Carolina Athletics
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NC State
Wolfpack Knot Series, Beat Tar Heels 14-6
April 10, 2010 | Baseball
April 10, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.- A six-run fourth inning lifted No. 28 NC State over No. 20 North Carolina 14-6 Saturday night at Boshamer Stadium. Patrick Johnson suffers the loss as Carolina falls to 21-12 and 5-9 in the ACC. The Wolfpack improve to 21-11 overall and 6-8 in league play after leading all nine innings of play.
Johnson (3-3) was plagued by five walks, after allowing seven runs on just four hits in 3.2 innings of work. Six different Tar Heel relievers all logged time on the mound. Greg Holt pitched a career-high 3.1 innings allowing two runs on four hits. The Carolina staff struggled on the mound en route to a season-high 11 walks.
Cory Mazonni (4-2) earned the win allowing six runs on six hits through 5.2 innings of work. Grant Sasser earned his first save of the season, throwing 3.1 shutout innings of relief.
Dillon Hazlett and Jesse Wierzbicki paced the Carolina offense with two hits apiece. Hazlett also added two RBI and two runs scored. Mike Cavasinni's 14-game hit streak was snapped in the loss.
State darted out to a 2-0 lead scoring two on just one hit and one Tar Heel error in the first. A well-executed hit and run from Dallas Poulk allowed Kyle Wilson to advance to third and eventually score due to an error in the Tar Heel outfield. Johnson ended the inning with three quick groundouts, but Poulk was able to score to give the Wolfpack an early two-run lead.
Johnson pitched himself out of a bases loaded jam with no outs in the second frame. The junior allowed one hit, hit a batter and walked one to load the bases. Johnson wriggled out of the jam unscathed with a strikeout, foul out and groundout.
Mazonni kept the Tar Heels off balance early allowing just one hit while posting three strikeouts through the first three frames. The sophomore retired seven batters in a row at one point.
Johnson continued to labor in the fourth loading the bases after a hit and a pair of walks. After allowing two more to score on a walk and fielders' choice, Munnelly entered to pitch with the bases loaded and two outs.
The fielders' choice that extended the inning came back to haunt the Tar Heels as Andrew Ciencin hammered the 3-2 Munnelly offering over the left field fence for a grand slam. State scored eight runs on just five hits through the first four frames.
Carolina responded scoring three runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth. Wierzbicki and Ben Bunting each posted RBI doubles, while Hazlett knocked in one on an infield single to manufacture three runs for the Tar Heels.
State tacked on another run without registering a hit in the top of the fifth. The Tar Heel pitchers struggled to find the zone walking 10 Wolfpack batters in their first 15 outs recorded.
The Tar Heels chipped away at the Wolfpack lead in the bottom of the sixth plating three runs on just two hits. A Hazlett RBI single to right field highlighted the inning as Mazonni and Sasser combined to walk five Tar Heels.
A Russell Wilson RBI triple, a Danny Canela pinch-hit single and a wild pitch extended the Wolfpack lead to 12-6 in the top of the eighth. Carolina used four different pitchers in the frame as Holt, Zach Bernard and Cody Stiles each recorded one out.
Another Wilson RBI single and wild pitch scored two more Wolfpack runners stretching their lead to 14-6 in the ninth.
The series finale is set for tomorrow at 1 p.m. from Boshamer Stadium.
