University of North Carolina Athletics
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Tar Heels Even Series On Coyle's Walk-Off Hit
March 25, 2012 | Baseball
March 25, 2012
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Junior shortstop Tommy Coyle slapped a single back up the middle to plate Parks Jordan from third and give No. 4 North Carolina a 4-3 walk-off win over No. 11 NC State Sunday afternoon to even the series. Junior Michael Morin picked up the win as the Tar Heels improved to 18-5 overall and 6-2 in ACC play, while NC State fell to 16-5 and 6-2 as UNC will go for the series win Monday night at 7 p.m.
Carolina opened the ninth with No. 9 hitter Parks Jordan drawing a four-pitch walk against reliever Vance Williams who was in his third inning of work. Lead off batter Chaz Frank attempted to drop down a sacrifice bunt but was unsuccessful in his first two attempts before an off-speed pitch from southpaw reliever Travis Orwig struck Frank in the shoulder putting two runners on base.
Michel Russell stepped to the plate and hit a slow chopper to Matt Bergquist at second base who gathered the ground ball, tagged Frank on his way to second and fired to first to double up Russell.
With Frank at third and two outs in the ninth, Tommy Coyle stepped in and fell behind 0-1 against Orwig before sending a shot up the middle to plate Jordan and give Carolina the 4-3 win to even the series at one game apiece.
NC State jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second as the Wolfpack jumped on starter Chris Munnelly. A one-out double plated the first run before a ball hit at Cody Stubbs at first took a tricky hop and jumped over Stubbs as two more runs scored.
The Tar Heels answered right away as they pushed two runs across in the bottom half of the inning. Stubbs sparked a two-out rally with a single through the left side on a 2-2 pitch and Shell McCain followed with a flare into center to put a pair of runners on base for Matt Roberts.
Roberts lifted a ball into right field and second baseman Matt Bergquist had a beat on the ball but slipped as the ball fell in for a single and Stubbs came around to score. Parks Jordan then hit a comebacker to starter Carlos Rodon who fielded and threw wide of first allowing McCain to score and pull the Tar Heels within a run at 3-2.
The Wolfpack knocked Munnelly from the game after he walked the lead off batter to open the third inning as sophomore left-hander Hobbs Johnson came on and shut down the NC State offense.
Johnson kept the Tar Heels in the game as he retired 12 of the 14 batters he faced and notched 1-2-3 innings in the fifth and sixth.
Rodon settled down after the shaky second inning and kept the Tar Heels in check before departing in the seventh inning.
Mason McCullough and R.C. Orlan held the Wolfpack in check in the seventh and eighth innings before closer Michael Morin came on for the ninth. Morin allowed a one-out single but retired the next two batters he faced before the walk-off hit from Coyle in the bottom half.
Morin improves to 2-0 on the year as the Tar Heel bullpen of Hobbs Johnson, Shane Taylor, Mason McCullough, R.C. Orlan and Michael Morin did not allow a run over seven innings of work and gave up just two hits and a walk.
Stubbs and Jordan finished with two hits apiece on the day for the Tar Heels.
The Tar Heels will look for their third straight series win to open the conference season Monday night as freshman right-hander Benton Moss will face fellow freshman right-hander Logan Jernigan of NC State. The game will be televised nationally by ESPNU with Justin Kutcher and Jay Payton on the call.
