University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Maryland
Terrapins Edge Tar Heels 6-5 In Extra Innings
April 2, 2010 | Baseball
April 2, 2010
COLLEGE PARK, MD. - A two-out Adam Kolarek home run in the tenth inning propelled Maryland over No. 22 North Carolina 6-5 Friday night at Shipley Field. Colin Bates suffers the tough loss, after pitching 1.2 innings of relief and striking out three. The Tar Heels were led by Jacob Stallings' career-best three hits as they fall to 18-10 overall and 2-8 in league play. The Terrapins improve to 12-15 and 3-7 in league play.
"We did not run the bases well tonight and left to many runners in scoring position, and you can not do that in this league," said head coach Mike Fox. "But you have to give them credit, they hit a couple big home runs in the last couple innings."
Starter Matt Harvey allowed three runs on five hits while striking out three in six innings of work. Chris Munnelly allowed two runs in two innings of relief. Bates (3-2) fanned three batters in 1.2 innings of relief, taking the tough loss.
Dan Gentzler (1-0) earned the win after throwing two shutout innings of relief and striking out three batters. Ian Schwalenberg was strong in 3.1 shutout innings in relief of starter Sander Beck. John Dischert allowed two runs on four hits in middle relief.
Offensively Stallings and Brian Goodwin paced Carolina with three hits apiece. Mike Cavasinni added two hits to extend his hit streak to 10 games on the season. Levi Michael went 1-for-5 with two RBI, hitting a two-run home run. Carolina left 10 runners on base and several in scoring position.
A Cavasinni leadoff single directed Carolina to an early 1-0 lead. Goodwin earned a RBI on an infield single to score the senior. UNC manufactured one run on three hits in the first.
The Tar Heels added two more runs in the third inning courtesy of a Michael two-run home run. Cavasinni led off the inning with a double off the center field fence, nearly missing a home run. Michael then catapulted a two-run blast, his first home run of the year, over the right field fence.
Beck's day ended on the mound after walking two and allowing one more hit, as Schwalenberg entered in relief with the bases loaded. The senior wriggled out of the jam with a strikeout and groundout as Carolina stranded five base runners in the first three frames.
Harvey labored after the long top of the third inning, allowing his first base runners of the day. The Terrapins strung together a few hits, highlighted by a RBI single to left field off the bat of Jon Wilson. After three frames, Carolina led 3-1.
Play was halted for 22 minutes in the fifth frame due to a lighting outage. The lights along the right field line went out with the Tar Heels at the plate to cause the delay.
The Terrapins cut into the Tar Heel led in the bottom of the eventful fifth inning, scoring one run. After two walks issued by Harvey the Terrapins advanced the runners on a sacrifice bunt. An Alfredo Rodriguez RBI groundout manufactured the run for Maryland, as Carolina still led 3-2 after five frames.
The momentum appeared to swing in the Terrapins favor in the sixth inning. Maryland escaped the top of the frame throwing out Cavasinni at home plate, after a single from Ben Bunting nearly scored the senior.
Brandon Padula then led off the bottom of the inning with a leadoff single and advanced all the way to third on a failed pick off attempt, charging an error to Harvey. The junior then wriggled out of the jam getting Padula out at the plate on a groundball to third with the infield in, to preserve the one-run lead.
Carolina carried their momentum into the seventh inning extending their lead to 4-2. A Dillon Hazlett pinch-hit infield single scored Jesse Wierzbicki from second. Hazlett singled deep in the hole at short, as Rodriguez attempted to throw out Hazlett at first prompting Wierzbicki to round third and score.
The two teams traded one run apiece in the bottom of the seventh and top of eighth. Rodriguez singled home a run for the Terrapins and Stallings crossed the plate for the Tar Heels in the eighth on a double play.
Maryland got the leadoff man on base safely for the sixth consecutive inning in the eighth after Padula doubled to left center. Matt Marquis then ripped a 2-0 pitch over the left center field fence, for a two-run home run to knot the score. Munnelly retired the next three Terrapin batters in order to end the inning.
Maryland threatened in the bottom of the ninth after a pair of singles, including one check-swing single, and fielders' choice put runners on second and third. After an intentional walk to Padula loaded the bases with two outs, Bates struck out Marquis to end the threat. The huge strikeout from Bates advanced the game to extra innings.
Dan Gentzler baffled Tar Heel hitters in the ninth and tenth innings, proving to be a difference in the tight game.
Bates struck out the first two batters in the bottom of the tenth, one looking and one swinging. Kolarek entered the batter's box and ripped a long strike just to the right of the right field foul pole. Kolarek then tattooed the next pitch over the right center field fence to give Maryland the win.
The Tar Heels and Terrapins will resume their three-game set tomorrow at 1 p.m. from Shipley Field.
