University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Maryland
Tar Heels Even Series, Topple Terrapins 11-4
April 3, 2010 | Baseball
April 3, 2010
COLLEGE PARK, MD. - Mike Cavasinni's three hits and Brian Goodwin's six RBI lifted No. 22 North Carolina over Maryland 11-4 Saturday at Shipley Field. Patrick Johnson earned the win, allowing just two earned runs on five hits in six innings. Carolina bashed 12 hits and matched a season-high with three home runs to improve to 19-10 overall and 3-8 in league play. The Terrapins fall to 12-16 overall and 3-8 in the ACC with the loss.
"Patrick [Johnson] made some pitches when he needed to today, his outing is exactly what we need to not tax our bullpen," head coach Mike Fox explained. "Jesse [Wierzbicki] and Cavasinni carried us today, both are really showing that they are our team leaders."
Johnson (3-2) was solid in his first start in two weeks, striking out five and rendering just two earned runs. Michael Morin earned his third save of the year, tossing a season-best three shutout innings.
Cavasinni extended his hit streak to 11 games, behind a 3-for-6 performance. Jesse Wierzbicki hit a solo home run, his fourth home run in his last eight games, and reached base safely five times. Goodwin added a home run and triple, his fourth and fifth, respectively, en route to notching a season-best six RBI.
Brett Harman (3-4) suffers the loss, after allowing six runs on seven hits in five innings of work. Reliever Matt Fullerton allowed five runs on three hits in just 0.2 innings of work. Blair Delean and Matthew Quinn threw 2.1 innings of relief combining to allow no runs.
Wierzbicki put Carolina in front, hammering the 0-2 Harman offering over the left center field fence for his seventh home run of the year. The Tar Heels added another run after back-to-back doubles from Graepel and Coyle.
Goodwin stretched the UNC lead to 5-0 after a three-run home run to center field in the third frame. After Cavasinni singled off the pitcher Harman, Carolina earned another base runner when Wierzbicki reached on a hit-by-pitch. Goodwin then ripped a towering shot over the fence in center field to earn three RBI.
Johnson benefited from two unorthodox double plays early, but only allowed one hit through three frames. A strikeout and caught stealing double play in the first from catcher Jacob Stallings, followed by a 8-6-3 double play to double up a Terrapin runner at first in the third frame benefited Johnson.
Seth Baldwin extended the Carolina lead to 6-0, hitting an opposite field home run over the left center field fence to leadoff the top of the fourth.
Maryland scored their first runs of the day in the bottom of the fifth on a RBI double off the bat of Adam Kolarek and RBI groundout from Jack Cleary. Johnson labored in the fifth as he faced seven batters in the frame, compared to 13 in the first four innings. After five frames the Tar Heels were in front 6-2.
Maryland's Fullerton entered to pitch in the sixth, but struggled to keep Carolina off the base paths. The Tar Heels responded after a pair of walks, to score five runs on four hits. A Levi Michael RBI double and Goodwin bases clearing triple manufactured the runs for Carolina. Ben Bunting also added a RBI on a fielders' choice to help Carolina extend their lead to 11-2.
The Terrapins scored two more runs in the bottom of the frame, both on Carolina errors. An error issued to Goodwin on a dropped foul ball allowed Matt Marquis to score. Matthew Murakami then stole third and advanced home on a Stallings error, as his throw to third trickled into left field.
Morin was masterful in relief, throwing three shutout innings and striking out three batters to secure the Tar Heel victory.
The Terrapins and Tar Heels will conclude their three-game set tomorrow at 1 p.m.
