University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Virginia
Bullpen Paves Way To Series Win, 6-2
April 14, 2012 | Baseball
April 14, 2012
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - No. 8 North Carolina rode its bullpen to a 6-2 series clinching win at No. 23 Virginia Saturday afternoon as the Tar Heels won their fifth ACC series of the year. Junior R.C. Orlan claimed his second win in as many days to help UNC improve to 26-9 on the year and 11-6 in conference play, while Virginia fell to 23-12-1 and 9-8 in the ACC. The Tar Heels will go for the sweep Sunday at 1 p.m.
Carolina fell behind early as the Cavaliers loaded the bases against starter Chris Munnelly with one out in the first. A sacrifice fly to right field gave the Wahoos a 1-0 lead before Munnelly escaped further trouble by forcing a comebacker.
The Tar Heels answered in the top of the second by pushing across two runs. Cody Stubbs was hit by a pitch to start the one-out rally before Shell McCain sent a single down the left field line.
Mike Zolk followed by hitting a slow roller to second base that was flipped to second to put out McCain before shortstop Chris Taylor sailed the relay throw into the dugout allowing Stubbs to score.
Adam Griffin quickly made it 2-1 in favor of the Tar Heels when he drove a pitch into the right center field gap for a RBI triple.
The Tar Heels added to their lead in the third when Tommy Coyle started a two-out rally with a double to center field. Jacob Stallings then hit a slow roller to Stephen Bruno at third who fielded the ball but sent the throw past the first baseman, allowing Coyle to score from second.
Cody Stubbs then went with a Scott Silverstein offering and drove it into left center field where center fielder Mitchell Shifflett had a beat on the ball but the ball popped out of Shifflett's glove to plate another run. The dropped fly ball upped Carolina's lead to 4-1 on a second-straight two-run inning.
Chris Munnelly opened the third by walking the lead off man and allowing a single before making way for left-hander Hobbs Johnson. The sophomore retired the next three batters to keep Carolina in front, 4-1.
The Cavaliers threatened again in the fourth inning when they loaded the bases against Johnson before Chris McCue came on and put out the fire by getting a fly out to center field.
McCue followed with a scoreless fifth inning before the Tar Heels added another run in the sixth inning when Chaz Frank singled through the right side with two down in the inning to plate Shell McCain from second base.
The RBI single upped Carolina's lead to 5-1 before Virginia threatened once again in the bottom half of the sixth.
McCue and R.C. Orlan combined to keep the Cavaliers off the scoreboard in the sixth before Orlan threw a scoreless frame in the seventh inning.
The Tar Heels added a run in the eighth thanks to another Chaz Frank RBI single to score Griffin and provide a 6-2 lead.
Orlan notched a pair of outs after a lead off walk before giving up a RBI double that snapped the Tar Heel bullpen streak of 11.1 scoreless innings. Michael Morin came on to pick up the final out of the eighth before a 1-2-3 ninth inning to clinch the series win for the Tar Heels.
Orlan earned the win by going 2.2 innings allowing one run on three hits, while striking out four.
Chaz Frank, Shell McCain and Adam Griffin all chipped in two hits for the Tar Heels, Frank also drove in a pair of runs in the 6-2 win.
Carolina will go for its second ACC weekend sweep of the year on Sunday at 1 p.m. when freshman Benton Moss takes the mound for the Tar Heels. UNC also claimed a road ACC sweep against Clemson March 9-11.
