University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Georgia Tech
Tar Heels Drop Series Finale At Georgia Tech
May 15, 2011 | Baseball
May 15, 2011
ATLANTA - No. 9 North Carolina was shutout for the first time in over a year Sunday afternoon as Georgia Tech's Buck Farmer threw eight shutout innings as the Yellow Jackets to the series finale 3-0 to claim the series 2-1.
Farmer and Carolina starter Chris Munnelly batted through four innings of scoreless baseball Sunday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium. Chaz Frank opened the contest with a lead off single but a failed hit and run play ended the initial threat.
It would be a sign of things to come for the Tar Heels as they were able to get runners on in the third and fifth innings only to have them quickly erased on ground ball double plays.
The Yellow Jackets moved runners into scoring position in the second, third and fourth innings but Munnelly was able to work out of trouble picking up key outs in each frame.
Munnelly ran into trouble in the bottom half of the fifth when he issued a lead off walk to No. 9 hitter Zane Evans then lead off man Kyle Wren doubled in front of a diving Parks Jordan in right field to give Georgia Tech a 1-0 lead.
Jacob Esch would follow with a single to center field plating Wren and upping the lead to 2-0. Later in the inning Mott Hyde singled over a leaping Jesse Wierzbicki at first base to score Esch and up the lead to 3-0.
It would be all the run support Farmer would need as the sophomore right-hander set the Tar Heels down in order in the sixth and worked past a ground-rule double by Tommy Coyle with one out in the seventh.
Carolina attempted to mount a two-out rally in the bottom half of the eighth as pinch hitters Brian Holberton and Seth Baldwin each reached. Holberton lined a single into right field and Baldwin battled for a walk but Farmer was able to get Frank swinging to end the inning.
Colin Moran managed a single off of reliever Luke Bard, younger brother of Tar Heel All-America Daniel Bard, in the ninth but it would be the only base runner Carolina would earn in the ninth.
The shutout was the first against the Tar Heels since William & Mary accomplished the feat on March 9, 2010.
Carolina will return to action on Tuesday, May 17 when the Tar Heels host Appalachian State in their final non-conference game of the regular season. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
