University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
James Madison
Tar Heels Shutout James Madison, 14-0
June 4, 2011 | Baseball
June 4, 2011
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Patrick Johnson isn't giving up many hits. North Carolina isn't allowing any runs.
Johnson scattered three hits over eight innings to lead the Tar Heels to their second straight shutout, a 14-0 rout of James Madison on Saturday night at the Chapel Hill Regional.
"He's been doing it all year," Holt said of Johnson. "It's not surprising what he's doing now."
Johnson (12-1) struck out 11 _ one shy of a career high _ and shut down the highest-scoring offense in Division I to win his sixth straight decision. Greg Holt homered and drove in four runs, and Ben Bunting finished with three RBIs for the Tar Heels (47-14), who broke the game open with seven runs in the seventh inning.
North Carolina hasn't been scored upon in the regional, improved to 14-0 in home NCAA tournament games since 2006 and moved a win away from its fifth super regional appearance in six years.
Johnny Bladel's single leading off the fourth snapped Johnson's string of 13 consecutive innings without allowing a hit. He threw six no-hit innings last time out against Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, but that game was suspended overnight due to rain and he didn't return when it resumed.
"I just like to go out and put our team in a position to win," Johnson said. "That's what I've been trying to do throughout this streak."
The Dukes (41-18) play Maine on Sunday in an elimination game, with North Carolina awaiting the winner.
"Hopefully, we can play two games," James Madison catcher Jake Lowery said.
The Tar Heels, who haven't allowed a run since Virginia scored in the seventh inning of their ACC tournament finale, beat Maine 4-0 in their NCAA opener. Then they ended the Dukes' 10-game winning streak, the longest active streak in the nation, by recording consecutive shutouts in the tournament for the first time in school history.
"It was a humbling, humbling game," James Madison coach Spanky McFarland said. "We didn't do well in all phases. They did well in a combination, kind of ran it up a little bit."
Holt put North Carolina up 2-0 in the second when he clanged a 1-1 pitch off the scoreboard in left-center for his third home run of the season. He added a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the fourth to make it 3-0.
"I think hitting home runs is just a case of putting a good swing on the ball," Holt said. "I'm just not trying to get ahead of myself."
Colin Moran, a freshman who led the ACC with 68 RBIs, singled home Chaz Frank in the first for the Tar Heels' first run. Frank, who drove in two runs, doubled home Holt in the sixth to extend the lead to 4-0.
