University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Wake Forest
Carolina Drops Heartbreaker, 5-4
March 13, 2011 | Baseball
March 13, 2011
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - North Carolina dropped a 5-4 decision at Wake Forest (6-9, 2-1 ACC) Sunday afternoon as the Demon Deacons claimed the series finale and the series 2-1. Despite multi-hit games from Tommy Coyle, Levi Michael and Chaz Frank the Tar Heels dropped their second straight to the Demon Deacons and fall to 14-3 on the year and 1-2 in ACC play. Carolina will look to bounce back Tuesday when it hosts Princeton in a midweek tilt at 3 p.m.
Starter Michael Morin came out firing as he retired the side in order to open the first. The Demon Deacons picked up a single in the second but did not cause any trouble before another scoreless frame in the third.
The Tar Heels picked up Morin in the top of the fourth when Jacob Stallings opened by drawing a leadoff walk. With one out later in the inning Jesse Wierzbicki drove a pitch to the opposite field off starter Zach White for his third home run of the year making the score 2-0 in favor of Carolina.
Morin returned to the bump and retired the side in order putting his offense back at the plate.
An infield single by Tommy Coyle and a Levi Michael single through the left side put Carolina in business. Stallings delivered a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt before Colin Moran drew a walk to load the bases.
Wierzbicki added another RBI to his total with a sacrifice fly to center field before Chaz Frank singled in another run, stretching Carolina's lead to 4-0.
Morin came through with another perfect inning in the fifth before getting into his first bit of trouble in the bottom of the sixth.
A hit batsman opened the bottom of the sixth but Morin was able to force a fly out to center for out number one. Conor Keniry followed with a shot down the left field line that bounced just inside the foul line for a RBI double, cutting Carolina's lead to 4-1.
A walk would end Morin's day after 5.1 innings of two-hit one-run ball. Greg Holt would come on and Matt Conway was not very welcoming as the sophomore connected on a game-tying three-run home run over the left field fence.
After a single up the middle Kent Emanuel replaced Holt and proceeded to pick off the Demon Deacon runner and with two down forced fellow Woodstock, Ga., native James Harris into a fly out to the right field wall.
The Tar Heels started a two-out rally in the top of the eighth as Seth Baldwin drew a walk and Ben Bunting hit a ball that was misplayed by the Demon Deacon second baseman, but routine 6-3 putout ended the threat.
Emanuel came back out for the bottom of the eighth and struck out the first two batters he faced before issuing a walk. Conway came through the clutch hit again for Wake Forest as he battled Emanuel to a 2-2 count before going with an outside pitch and placing it through the right side to score the go-ahead run.
Cody Penny went on to record the final out of the eighth inning.
Levi Michael would start off the top of the ninth inning with a single that dropped into left center. The next batter, Jacob Stallings, crushed a pitch but to dead-center field for out number before a ground ball double play ended the game.
Carolina will return to action Tuesday when it hosts Princeton at 3 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium.
