University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Xavier
No. 3 Tar Heels Battle Back For 16-10 Win
February 18, 2012 | Baseball
Feb. 18, 2012
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 3 North Carolina overcame an eight-run second inning to improve to 2-1 on the year with a 16-10 win over Xavier (1-2) Saturday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. Junior R.C. Orlan notched the victory by tossing three scoreless innings of relief, while freshman Mike Zolk tallied four RBI for the Tar Heels.
Carolina rebounded from a loss the night before with an impressive first inning as starter Benton Moss retired the Musketeers in order before the Tar Heel bats erupted for six runs in the bottom half.
Tommy Coyle opened the inning with a one out single up the middle before Colin Moran executed a perfect hit and run and moved Coyle over the third base with a single through the right side. Jacob Stallings dropped a single into right field to make it 1-0 as Coyle scored after the ball fell in.
Cody Stubbs quickly made it 3-0 when he turned on a pitch and drove it into the right center gap to score both Moran and Stallings. Following a walk to Michael Russell, Tom Zengel split the outfielders in left center to score both Stubbs and Russell and get to third base with just one out thanks to a triple.
Freshman Mike Zolk lifted a fly ball to left field, just deep enough to score Zengel from third and give UNC a 6-0 advantage after just one inning.
The Musketeers would not go quietly as they forced the Tar Heels into using five different pitchers in an eight-run second inning that vaulted Xavier into an 8-6 lead.
Xavier needed just five hits in the inning to put up the eight-spot as the Tar Heels issued a pair of walks and committed three errors in the inning. Moss departed after allowing three hits and a pair of walks which resulted in five runs, four of which were earned.
Shane Taylor came on and picked up a pair of outs but was unable to depart unscathed as he allowed a pair of hits and three unearned runs. Tate Parrish and Andrew Smith were unable to record an out before Chris Munnelly ended the marathon inning.
Carolina responded right away in the bottom half of the second as they tied things up thanks to a leadoff triple from Coyle before Moran grounded to make the score 8-7. Michael Russell tallied a RBI double later in the inning to tie things up.
Munnelly tossed a scoreless third inning before getting into trouble in the fourth allowing three of the first four batters he faced to reach, allowing one run. Orlan was summoned out of the bullpen and escaped a bases loaded jam with a strikeout and a nice fielding play on a comebacker.
Carolina used another big inning in the fourth to regain the lead as the Tar Heels pushed across five runs. Stubbs and Zengel were in scoring position for Zolk in the fourth before the freshman took a pitch the other way for two-run double to give Carolina the lead.
ack-to-back walks to Brian Holberton and Chaz Frank loaded the bases for Tommy Coyle who hit a ball on the right side of the infield that the first baseman was unable to handle allowing all three runs to score and give UNC a 15-9 advantage.
Orlan cruised through the fifth and sixth innings to keep the momentum in the Tar Heels' favor before departing in the top of the seventh after tossing 50 pitches.
The Musketeers were able to get a run off of Hobbs Johnson before junior Michael Morin came on to put out the fire by getting a punch out and a fly out with a pair of runners on base.
Morin threw a scoreless eighth and ninth innings, while Moran tacked on another run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the eighth to provide the final 16-10 tally.
Coyle led all hitters with three hits on the day, while Carolina's four through seven hitters (Stallings, Stubbs, Russell and Zengel) all registered two hits apiece. Zolk was the top run producer with four RBI and fellow newcomer Stubbs crossed the plate three times.
Carolina will return to action next Friday when it welcomes in another foe from the Buckeye State as Horizon League favorite Wright State comes to Chapel Hill for a three-game series set to kick off Friday, Feb. 24 at 3 p.m.
