University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Closes Road Slate At UNC Asheville
May 15, 2012 | Baseball
May 15, 2012
Carolina at UNC Asheville Complete Game Notes
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 6 North Carolina will take to the road for the final time in the regular season on Tuesday when the Tar Heels head to Asheville for a midweek tilt against UNC Asheville at 6 p.m. at McCormick Field. Carolina enters with a season-long nine-game winning streak and own the fourth-best road record in the country with a 13-4 mark on the year.
Last Week
The Tar Heels posted a 4-0 week with a 4-2 win over Colonial Athletic Association leader UNC Wilmington at Boshamer Stadium on Tuesday. Carolina pushed across all four runs without an RBI hit thanks to three sacrifice flies and a bases loaded hit by pitch.
Carolina then made the short trip to Durham to take on rival Duke in a three-game series at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and was able to down potential first round draft pick, Marcus Stroman, Friday night. Sophomore Kent Emanuel allowed one run over eight innings of work to earn his seventh win of the year on Friday as Chaz Frank picked up a pair of hits.
Saturday saw the Tar Heels hold a 2-1 lead after five innings before the offense erupted for 13 runs over the final four frames to match their largest win of the year at 15-1.
Shane Taylor was forced into an emergency start on Sunday as Hobbs Johnson was out due to an illness and Taylor did not disappoint as the sophomore surrendered just one hit over eight impressive innings. Carolina scored three runs in the eighth inning with a Mike Zolk pinch hit RBI double and a two-run single from Brian Holberton.
Michael Morin came on and closed out his second game of the series and third of the week as he moved into third place on the UNC single season saves list with 16.
Probable Starters
Tuesday
Carolina: LHP Hobbs Johnson - Sophomore left-hander Hobbs Johnson will take the bump Tuesday after missing his last scheduled start on Sunday against Duke due to an illness. Johnson enters with a 4-1 record and a 1.60 ERA in 18 appearances with the last four in a starting role.
UNC Asheville: LHP Klint Davis - Senior Klint Davis will get the call for the Bulldogs in what will be his first career start. Davis is 1-0 on the year with a 4.97 ERA in 13 appearances out of the bullpen.
Carolina vs. UNC Asheville Series
The Tar Heels own a 5-0 record against the Bulldogs in the all-time series since it began in 1996. Carolina claimed the April 11th meeting between the two teams with a 10-5 over the Bulldogs thanks to a four-run eighth inning to blow the game open.
The trip to Asheville will be the first for the Tar Heels in the series as all five previous meetings occurred in Chapel Hill.
Going For Ten Straight
Carolina enters the week on a nine-game winning streak dating back to a 1-0 extra-inning win over East Carolina on April 25. During the stretch the Tar Heels are posting a 1.21 ERA and have allowed just 11 earned runs with three shutouts.
Four Tar Heel pitchers own sub 1.00 ERAs during the streak led by closer Michael Morin who is 1-0 with six saves and a 0.00 ERA. Starters Kent Emanuel, Shane Taylor and Hobbs Johnson have allowed just one run apiece in the last nine games.
Leading the way at the plate during the stretch has been outfielders Chaz Frank and Parks Jordan who are both hitting above .400. Frank is sitting at .436 (17-of-39) during the winning streak and has driven a team-high 12 runs, five more than the next highest. Jordan has collected 14 hits with four runs and four RBIs.
Colin Moran has picked up where he left off on coming back from injury and has a hit in all eight games he has played and has collected at least one hit in his last 16 games of action.
