University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Rhode Island
No. 11 Tar Heels Grab Two From URI
February 28, 2015 | Baseball
FLORENCE, S.C. --- Benton Moss struck out 10 in 7.0 shutout innings, Trent Thornton posted a pair of five-out saves and No. 11 North Carolina took both games of a doubleheader from Rhode Island, 4-3 and 5-3, Friday at Sparrow Stadium on the campus of Francis Marion University. After Moss' gem in the opener, freshman Hansen Butler pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in game two for his first career win. Carolina and URI will wrap up the three-game series, which was moved from Chapel Hill due to snow, Saturday night at 7 p.m.
Carolina (6-2) scored three times in the second inning off game one starter Steve Moyers (0-2) and never trailed thanks to Moss' mastery of the Rhode Island lineup. The Enfield, North Carolina, senior scattered six hits over 7.0 innings and did not issue a walk to improve to 2-0 on the year. He also moved past Ryan Snare and Mike Bynum and into eighth in school history with 278 career strikeouts.
Logan Warmoth, Zack Gahagan, Landon Lassiter and Wood Myers all drove in runs for the Tar Heels in the opener, with eight of the nine Carolina starters registering a hit.
URI (0-5) made it interesting late, however, as the Rams scored three unearned runs against the UNC bullpen. Chris McCue got the first out of the eighth before giving way to Thornton with two on and a run in. A passed ball and a sac fly allowed two more runs to score before Thornton, who was moved to the bullpen with Reilly Hovis unavailable, got Nick DeRegis to line out to second.
Rhode Island threatened again in the ninth when Chris Hess reached on a leadoff single, but pinch hitter T.J. Lynch lined into a double play before Thornton got Mike Sherburne to ground out to end it.
The Tar Heels were forced to play from behind in game two thanks to Sherburne's two-run homer off J.B. Bukauskas in the fifth. Sherburne, who was 2 for 9 on the day with five strikeouts, drove a 2-1 pitch just beyond the reach of Lassiter in left to give the Rams a 2-0 lead.
But Carolina responded with two of its own after starter Tyler Wilson tired in the fifth. Adam Pate led off the inning with a double to right center and Wilson's day was done after a walk to Korey Dunbar. Two batters later, Myers singled home Pate to make it 2-1 before a Tyler Ramirez RBI fielder's choice tied the game at 2.
URI retook the lead with an unearned run in the sixth, but the bullpen combination of Spencer Trayner, Trevor Kelley and Butler held the Rams to a single run after the visitors loaded the bases with nobody out.
UNC tied the game in the sixth when Brian Miller's hot shot got through shortstop Tim Caputo, and the Tar Heels went ahead for good with two runs in the seventh. Ramirez singled home Myers off Derek Kawlewski (0-1) before the sophomore right fielder scored from second on a fielder's choice to make it 5-3.
Thornton replaced Butler with one out in the eighth and got Matt O'Neill on a swinging strikeout before DeRegis fouled out to first. The junior from Charlotte capped his two-save day with four more Ks in the ninth, the last two coming after a dropped throw at first allowed Jordan Powell to reach.
Carolina will go for its second sweep in three weeks Saturday night at 7. Zac Gallen will get the start for the Tar Heels. Saturday's game will begin after the conclusion of Francis Marion's doubleheader against Flagler, which is set for a 1 p.m. start. Tickets are $8 for adults, but UNC faculty, staff and students will be admitted for free with a One Card.
