University of North Carolina Athletics
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Virginia
No. 1 Virginia Rallies Past No. 21 North Carolina 5-3
May 16, 2010 | Baseball
May 16, 2010
CHARLOTTESVILE, VA. ---- A walk off three run home run off the bat of John Hicks rallied No. 1 Virginia over No. 21 North Carolina 5-3 Sunday afternoon at Davenport Field. Carolina suffered their second walk off loss in as many as days falling to 32-20 overall and 11-16 overall. Virginia won their 14th straight game and improves to 43-9 on the year and a league leading 21-6 in ACC play.
Starter Patrick Johnson pitched 6.2 strong innings allowing just two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts. Greg Holt (3-3) suffers his the loss after allowing two runs and the two base runners in the ninth. Bates threw just one pitch in the ninth as UVA rallied for the win.
Levi Michael paced Carolina offensively with three hits and two RBI. The sophomore belted his sixth home run this season and provided a big two-out RBI. Brian Goodwin added a solo home run, also his sixth of the year, en route to a 1-for-4 and one RBI performance.
The Tar Heels posed a scoring threat in the second with runners and the corners with no outs, but failed to manufacture a run. Cody Winiarksi used a fly out and a timely 6-4-3 double play to erase Carolina's scoring chance.
Carolina took their first lead of the series 2-0 after back-to-back two-out solo home runs from Michael and Goodwin in the third. Both home runs sailed over the right field fence as Carolina belted back-to-back blasts for the first time since March 16 of this year.
Johnson was sharp early, as the junior did not allow a hit through the first three frames. Johnson rendered a pair of hits in the fourth, but wriggled out of the frame with a double play and huge strikeout.
Michael delivered another Tar Heel run in the fourth driving in Mike Cavasinni with a RBI single to right field. Carolina loaded the bases with two outs, but did not tack on any more runs as UNC left eight on base through four frames.
Reliever Kyle Wilson silenced the Tar Heel bats retiring the first seven batters he faced. Johnson was equally effective using a big 4-6-3 double play and caught stealing to escape the sixth.
Virginia manufactured their first runs in the seventh after a solo home run off the bat of Dan Grovatt followed by a solo blast from Jarrett Parker an out later. Johnson retired two Wahoos, but Holt relieved him in with one runner on and two outs. Holt ended the threat with a big strikeout as Carolina led 3-2 after seven frames.
The Cavaliers opened the bottom of the ninth with consecutive singles to place runners at the corners with no outs as Bates entered to pitch. Hicks then ripped the second pitch down the left field line over the wall for the walk off 5-3 win.
Carolina will return to action next Tuesday hosting Charlotte at 6 p.m. from Boshamer Stadium.
