University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Duke
Tar Heels Roll Past Duke, 15-1
May 12, 2012 | Baseball
May 12, 2012
DURHAM, N.C. - No. 7 North Carolina scored 13 runs after the fifth inning en route to a 15-1 series-clinching win over Duke Saturday afternoon at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Parks Jordan set a career high with four hits as he and Chaz Frank each drove in three runs in the victory.
The win gave the Tar Heels their 10th series victory of the year and seventh ACC series win of the 2012 campaign.
Carolina claimed a 2-0 lead in the top of the second as the Tar Heels took advantage of a Duke miscue. Brian Holberton opened the frame with a single through the right side and made his way to third on a wild pitch on an effective ground out by Tommy Coyle.
Adam Griffin sent a 2-2 pitch into right field that was dropped by a charging right fielder allowing Holberton to score from third and give Carolina a 1-0 lead. Parks Jordan and Chaz Frank helped load the bases for the Tar Heels with a pair of singles and Michael Russell added another run on a sacrifice fly to up the lead to 2-0.
Freshman right-hander Benton Moss earned the start Saturday and kept the Blue Devils off the scoreboard despite putting runners on in each of the first four innings.
Moss stranded a pair of runners in the first, third and fourth innings before departing in the bottom of the fifth with runners on the corners.
Relief pitcher R.C. Orlan nearly picked up a strikeout to end the threat but a flare single into left field helped the Blue Devils cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Tar Heels answered in the top of the sixth inning with a two-out rally. Tommy Coyle opened the frame with a walk but back-to-back outs had the Tar Heels in danger of stranding Coyle at second.
Chaz Frank drew a two-out walk before Michael Russell floated a single into left field that fell in front of the left fielder to score Coyle and bump the lead to 3-1.
After a pitching change for the Blue Devils, Colin Moran sent an offering off the left field wall for a two-run double to cap off a three-run inning.
Orlan followed with a scoreless bottom half of the sixth before Carolina added a pair of runs in the seventh to blow the game open.
Parks Jordan split the outfielders with a runner on in the seventh for a RBI triple and quickly scored when Chaz Frank doubled to center field to make it a 7-1 contest.
Carolina tacked on another pair of runs in the eighth when a Duke error allowed a run to score before Parks Jordan chopped a single over the first baseman's head to plate another run and bump the Tar Heel lead to 9-1.
The Tar Heels sent 10 batters to the plate in the ninth as they poured it on with six more runs in the ninth to provide the 15-1 final.
Orlan notched the win his eighth of the victory of the year as he threw 2.1 innings of three-hit shutout ball.
Luis Paula threw a scoreless eighth inning for the Tar Heels before Cody Penny finished off the contest with a scoreless ninth.
Parks Jordan finished the day 4-for-6 at the plate with two runs scored and three RBIs, while Chaz Frank added three hits and three RBIs of his own.
The trio of Michael Russell, Jacob Stallings and Brian Holberton all added two hits apiece on the day for the Tar Heels.
Carolina will go for the sweep Sunday as sophomore Hobbs Johnson takes the bump looking to give the Tar Heels their fifth series sweep of the year.
