University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Florida State
No.7 Tar Heels Drop Opener At No. 6 FSU
April 8, 2011 | Baseball
April 8, 2011
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Freshman Colin Moran blasted his sixth home run of the year to give No. 7 UNC a 3-2 lead at No. 6 Florida State Friday night in the eighth inning but the Tar Heel bullpen was unable to hold off a late Seminole surge as Carolina dropped the series opener 5-3. Moran finished with a pair of RBI, while catcher Jacob Stallings added one of his own.
Carolina dropped its first contest of the year when leading after six innings Friday night as the Tar Heels had come into the game with an unblemished record of 24-0 in such situations.
Senior right-hander had his streak of six straight starts with a win snapped Friday as he earned a no decision but allowed just two runs over 6.1 innings pitched. Johnson rang up 10 batters for the second straight week after striking out 11 batters against Clemson last Friday.
Colin Moran put Carolina in front in the top of the eighth as the Tar Heels took advantage of a Seminole miscue.
Tommy Coyle hit a ball at second baseman Devon Travis that went through Travis' legs and then moved to second on a wild pitch. A ground out put two outs on the board before Colin Moran delivered his sixth home run of the year.
The Seminoles struck for three runs in the eighth inning thanks to three hits, two doubles, and a hit by pitch. With one out Rafael Lopez hit a slow roller up the middle to get things going.
Mike McGee was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second as Jacob Ramsey knotted things up with a double to right field. Jayce Boyd put the 'Noles in front with a sacrifice fly to right before Sherman Johnson capped the scoring with a double just inside the right field line plating another run.
Carolina threatened in the top of the ninth as Chaz Frank and pinch hitter Tom Zengel drew walks to open the inning. A double play ball moved Frank to third but also put the Tar Heels one out from the end of the game.
Another walk, this time by Ben Bunting, put runners at the corners. Bunting would advance to second on a passed ball leaving things to Levi Michael.
Michael battled to a full count before watching strike three to end the game.
Ben Bunting led off Friday's contest with a double in the right center gap to open the top of the first inning but the Tar Heels were unable to move Bunting to third.
FSU picked up a one-out walk in its half of the first but Jacob Stallings added to his caught stealing tally as he gunned down his 17th potential base stealer of the season.
The Seminoles put Carolina in a hole for the ninth straight game when Jayce Boyd singled to center with one out in the second stanza before moving to second on a ground out. Stuart Tapley followed with another single to center field that plated Boyd giving FSU a 1-0 lead.
Carolina evened things up in the fourth inning when Levi Michael started things off with a lead off walk. Tommy Coyle went with an outside pitch and drove it down the left field line for a double putting a pair of runners in scoring position.
After knotting things up in the fourth Devon Travis gave the Seminoles the lead in the very next inning when he blasted a home run to left field giving FSU a 2-1 lead after five innings.
Carolina advanced runners to third in both the fifth and sixth innings but was unable to drive in the tying run until Moran's blast in the eighth.
ame two is set for Saturday night at 6 p.m. as Kent Emanuel will face Scott Sitz.
