University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Virginia
No. 8 Tar Heels Sweep Wahoos, 5-3
April 15, 2012 | Baseball
April 15, 2012
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - No. 8 North Carolina used a four-run second inning to claim a 5-3 win at No. 23 Virginia Sunday afternoon. The win gave Carolina the series sweep as the Tar Heels became the first team in nine years to sweep Virginia at home.
The sweep was the first by a Tar Heel squad in Charlottesville for the first time since the 1994 team claimed all three games against the Cavaliers.
Carolina used the big inning to its advantage early as the Tar Heels were able to get to starter Artie Lewicki in the top of the second by batting around and scoring four runs.
Cody Stubbs opened the inning by working a full count before depositing a single into center field and moved into scoring position when Michael Russell drove a single the opposite way.
Mike Zolk then moved the pair into scoring position with a well executed sacrifice bunt before Brian Holberton chopped a single up the middle to score both runs and put UNC in front 2-0.
Adam Griffin followed with a RBI single of his own after Holberton stole second to put himself in scoring position. A ground out moved Griffin to second and Chaz Frank did the rest by slapping a single into left center to give starter Benton Moss a 4-0 lead to work with.
Moss would respond by retiring the next six batters he would face in scoreless second and third innings before Stephen Bruno connected on a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning.
Moss settled down by striking out three of the next four batters he would face to keep the margin at 4-1.
Virginia would load the bases in the fifth inning before cutting the lead to 4-2 on a sacrifice fly but Moss forced another fly out to right field to end the threat and the inning.
Carolina tacked on an insurance run in the sixth inning by manufacturing a run after a lead off single by Mike Zolk. A sacrifice bunt by Brian Holberton and a ground out by Adam Griffin moved Zolk to third before a single back up the middle by Parks Jordan made it a 5-2 Carolina lead.
Virginia pulled one back in the seventh when the Cavaliers put runners on first and third and two outs in the frame. Jacob Stallings picked behind the runner at first who was in a rundown long enough to score the runner from third and make it a 5-3 ball game.
Michael Morin made his third appearance of the weekend in the eighth to record the final out before working a scoreless ninth for his 10th save of the year.
Moss improved to 3-2 with the win as the freshman threw six innings allowing two runs on four hits and struck out nine for the third straight start and now has 58 for the season.
Fellow freshman Adam Griffin contributed two hits on the day, while Brian Holberton drove in a pair of runs for the Tar Heels.
Carolina will return to action Tuesday when it hosts High Point at Boshamer Stadium with first pitch set for 6 p.m.
