University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Charlotte
Tar Heels Dispatch Niners 8-4
May 18, 2010 | Baseball
May 18, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. --- Ryan Graepel notched four hits and two RBI to lead North Carolina past Charlotte 8-4 Tuesday night at Boshamer Stadium. Jimmy Messer picked up his second win of the season tossing three shutout innings of relief. Carolina won its eighth straight game at home to improve to 33-20 on the year.
Charlotte's Tim Lysaught (4-4) suffers the loss as the Niners fall to 35-14 overall. The Tar Heels defeated Charlotte for the second time this season, after registering a 5-0 April 28.
Messer posted four strikeouts and allowed just one hit in three scoreless innings. Starter Michael Morin allowed just two runs in three frames. Nate Striz was strong in one inning of relief, allowing just one hit. Colin Bates, Zach Bernard and Greg Holt all combined to allow one run in two innings.
Graepel posted four of Carolina's 12 hits en route to matching his career-best hit total. Levi Michael started the game in strong fashion with a lead off home run, his seventh of the year. Michael's lead off home run was the first by a Tar Heel since May of 2007.
Seth Baldwin added a pair of hits in his fifteenth start of the season. Brian Goodwin hit his team-leading seventh triple of the year, which is one shy of the single season school record eight that has stood since 1949.
The Tar Heels scored half of their runs in the first three frames. Michael's home run, a Jacob Stallings sacrifice fly and a two-RBI double from Graepel manufactured the runs for Carolina.
Carolina added a pair of runs in the fifth and eighth innings. Jesse Wierzbicki knocked in Goodwin after his RBI triple on a sacrifice fly to plate two runs in the fifth frame. A wild pitch and a Mike Cavasinni sacrifice fly manufactured a pair of runs for the Diamond Heels' in the eighth inning.
Charlotte threatened in an eventful ninth and final frame that featured three Tar Heel hurlers. After the Niners scored two, Holt entered to pitch with two outs.
With runners at the corners and the tying run in the on deck circle, the junior induced a ground ball deep in the hole at short. Graepel gobbled up the ball and made the long throw to first to end the game on a great defensive play.
The Tar Heels wrap up their home slate hosting Virginia Tech for a three game set beginning Thursday at 6 p.m. from Boshamer Stadium.
