University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
St. John's
No. 14 Carolina Wins Seventh Straight
March 9, 2011 | Baseball
March 9, 2011
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Sophomore Cody Stiles continued the strong starting pitching from Tuesday on Wednesday afternoon as he threw seven innings of one-run ball as the Tar Heel bats provided eight runs of support in an 8-1 win over visiting St. John's (5-6). Carolina has scored eight or more runs in its last four games and will look to keep the offense rolling this weekend as it opens ACC play at Wake Forest on Friday.
St. John's struck first in the top of the second Paul Karmas led off with a double to left field before scoring on a single through the right side by Jeremy Baltz to give the Red Storm the early 1-0 lead.
The Carolina bats struck back in the bottom half as Greg Holt singled in a run before Ben Bunting hit a sacrifice fly later in the frame to put Carolin in front 2-0.
The Tar Heels would not relinquish the lead as starter Cody Stiles kept the Red Storm offense in check. After the second inning run St. John's did not send more than three batters to the plate until the seventh inning.
Stiles received a big insurance run from battery-mate Jacob Stallings in the third when the catcher blasted his second home run of the year, equaling his career mark and giving Carolina the 3-1 lead.
The fourth inning saw nine Tar Heels step to the plate as they were able to push across four more runs on just two hits. A pair of hit batsmen and a single by Holt loaded the bases for Ben Bunting who lifted his second sacrifice fly to right field for the first run of the inning.
Tommy Coyle followed with a RBI single before a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch made the Tar Heel lead 7-1. Bunting would make it 8-1 in favor of Carolina in the fifth when he knocked in Seth Baldwin who doubled with two outs in the inning.
Greg Holt and Tate Parrish combined for a scoreless eighth and the trio of Michael Morin, Andrew Smith and Cody Penny each notched an out in a scoreless ninth.
unting finished with a team-high three RBI, while Stallings chipped in a pair. Jesse Wierzbicki and Greg Holt each chipped in two hits apiece for the Tar Heels who won their seventh straight game and closed out a 10-game home stand with a 9-1 mark.
Carolina now heads west to Winston-Salem, N.C. where it opens ACC play against Wake Forest beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday.
