University of North Carolina Athletics
Robert Woodard was brilliant in the 2006 Clemson game
Photo by: Joe Bray
This Day In Tar Heel Baseball History: June 18
June 18, 2020 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILLÂ - North Carolina looks at "On This Day in Tar Heel History", as Tom Jensen shares his memories as an avid Tar Heel fan and regular at Boshamer Stadium.Â
June 18
For today's version of 'This Day in Recent Carolina Baseball History' we go back to 2006 and 2013 for a pair of pitching masterpieces by Robert Woodard and Trent Thornton, one of which moved the Heels into the final of their bracket and the other of which kept the season alive.
In 2006 there were 12 schools in the ACC and only 10 conference baseball weekends so you had one team you didn't play in the regular season- for the Heels that happened to be Clemson. But as it turned out they ended up playing on a much bigger stage- the winners bracket in Omaha after the Heels beat Cal State-Fullerton and Clemson beat Georgia Tech in their openers.
Clemson was the #1 overall national seed. The Heels weren't seeded at all. So most of the college baseball world expected the Tigers to win when the teams faced off on June 18, 2006. But Robert Woodard was starting for the Heels, and he had other ideas.
Robert threw a scoreless 1st with no damage other than a 2 out walk, then followed that up with a 1-2-3 2nd and a 1-2-3 3rd.
In the bottom of the 3rd Mike Cavasinni hit a leadoff single and Reid Fronk brought him home on a double to right to make it 1-0. Josh Horton hit his own double to right center on the very next pitch and it brought Reid around to give the Heels a 2-0 lead.
As it turned out Robert didn't even need that extra run. He set the Tigers down 1-2-3 in the 4th, including a pair of strikeouts. In the 5th Clemson finally did get 2 runners on base for the first time all day with a walk and a single with 1 out. Robert got what should have been a foul pop out for the second out of the inning and it was dropped. But instead of letting that affect him adversely he just came back and got a pair of groundouts to escape the inning.
Clemson got a runner to 2nd in the 6th on a hit and an error. Robert got a strike out and a pop out to leave him there. The Tigers got runners to 1st and 2nd with 2 out in the 7th on a single and a walk. Robert got a groundout on his very first pitch to the next hitter to end the inning.
Clemson should have struck one of those times because Robert was done letting them get runners on base. In the 8th he got a line out and then a pair of fly outs and retired the side in 8 pitches.
It should be noted that Clemson's pitcher was nearly as good. The Heels only got one hit the entire rest of the way after the 3rd inning. Both starters pitched complete games and as a result the game lasted only 2 hours and 15 minutes, pretty unheard of for any college baseball game but especially for one in Omaha.Â
Robert came back out for the 9th. I could try to build it up as a suspenseful conclusion to a hard fought game. But it really wasn't because Robert just quickly and efficiently took care of business.Â
He struck out the first guy. He struck out the second guy. And it only took 2 pitches for him to get a groundout to end the game. He allowed only 3 hits in a complete game shutout, striking out 7, against the #1 team in the country. Given the stage there's a pretty good argument for it as the best pitching performance in program history, or the most impactful at the very least.
The win took Robert's record for the season to 7-1 and the team's record for the season to 52-13. It meant that they would get a couple days off before they faced whoever won an elimination game between Cal State-Fullerton and Clemson. Then the Heels would get two shots against whoever emerged from that, just needing one more win to get to the College World Series finals.
Josh Horton (including a double and a RBI) and Mike Cavasinni (including a run) each had a pair of hits for the Heels. Reid Fronk doubled and drove in and scored a run. Benji Johnson and Seth Williams had hits as well for the Heels. It wasn't much offense, but with the amazing night Robert had on the mound not much was needed.Â
On June 18, 2013 the Heels found themselves in a very different situation from the 2006 team. They were the #1 overall seed in the tournament but they'd lost their opening game in Omaha so they needed a win when they faced off against LSU just to stay alive.Â
The Heels were the road team and they didn't waste any time in getting the game off on the right foot. With 2 outs in the 1st Colin Moran worked a full count and then singled to keep the inning alive.Â
That brought up Brian Holberton who'd had a whole string of big home runs through the postseason. He'd knocked one out to tie the game against Clemson in the ACC Tournament when the Heels were down to their last out. He'd knocked one out in the deciding game of Supers against South Carolina to give the Heels an early lead. And he knocked one out here, a 2 run shot to right in a TD Ameritrade ballpark that's awfully hard on power hitting. The Heels took an early 2-0 lead.
Trent Thornton had spent most of the season doing an incredible job in the Heels bullpen but with the season on the line he got the start against the Tigers. He walked a couple guys with 2 outs in the 1st but then he got a fly out to end the threat. He retired the side 1-2-3 in the 2nd.
In the 3rd Landon Lassiter doubled to left on the first pitch of the inning and ColIn Moran singled to bring him in to make it 3-0. Brian Holberton followed up with a single and Cody Stubbs earned a walk to load the bases with nobody out but the Heels couldn't get anyone else across.
In the bottom of the inning it looked like that might come back to bite them. LSU got runners on 1st and 2nd with one out, bringing future big league super star Alex Bregman to the plate. But Trent got him to hit the ball weakly back to the mound and went to 2nd for the force. A walk loaded the bases with 2 outs but Trent got a pop out to end the inning without surrendering any runs.
Trent followed that up with a 1-2-3 4th. In the 5th the Tigers again got runners to 1st and 2nd with one out, bringing Alex Bregman to the plate. This time Trent struck him out on three pitches. But LSU did get a 2 out single to bring in a run and cut their deficit to 3-1.
The Tigers got a 1 out single in the 6th but Trent struck out their next two hitters to end the inning. In the 7th Colin Moran singled to lead off, his third hit of the day. Brian Holberton had hit a big home run earlier in the game. Here he was asked to bunt and he did it well, moving Colin into scoring position. Colin and Brian were freshman year roommates and here in their last week as Tar Heels you had Brian hitting a bomb to score Colin in one inning and Brian bunting to move Colin over in another inning. They'd come a long way from the fall of 2010 in Avery.Â
After an out Skye Bolt made a 2 out single to left that brought Colin around to score to make it 4-1.
LSU got runners on the corners with no one out in the bottom of the 7th, bringing Alex Bregman to the plate with a real chance to get his team back into the game. He hit into a double play. It scored a run to get the game within 4-2 but 2 outs for a run is a trade you'll make in that situation.
Trent really dominated Bregman that day and it got me curious if the same thing happened last year in the majors and it did indeed. Trent held Alex to 1 for 5 with just a single when they faced off against each other in 2019.Â
Trent got a line out to center to end the 7th and keep a 2 run lead. He left the game after issuing a leadoff walk in the 8th but he went 7 innings and only allowed 2 runs. He actually let a ton of people get on base- 9 hits and 4 walks- much less dominant than he usually was his freshman year. But he got outs when he needed to and his eventual win for this game made him 12-1 on the season.Â
Chris McCue came on for the Heels and in his first inning of work he alternated getting outs and letting runners on base. He got a line out but then allowed a single. He got a fly out but then hit a guy. That loaded the bases and brought the go ahead run to the plate. But he got a fly out to end the inning with the Heels still on top 4-2.
Chris stayed on to close it out in the 9th. He got Alex Bregman to line out to lead off the inning, making him 0-4 on the day. After a one out walk he got a fly out and a strikeout to finish the win and earn just his second save of the season. With Trent starting he was asked to play a different role than the setup one he had thrived in all season but he rose to the occasion and did a great job closing out the game.Â
The win made the Heels 58-11 for the season and to give you an idea of what a pair of juggernauts this game matched against each other, LSU's season ended at 57-11. The Heels moved on to a 5th game of the year against N.C. State to determine who would win the 5 game season series between the two teams...and more importantly who would win to stay in Omaha and who would go home.
Colin Moran led the way for the Heels with 3 hits, scoring twice and driving in a run. Brian Holberton (including a home run, 2 RBI, and a run), Skye Bolt (including a double and an RBI), and Landon Lassiter (including a double and a run) each had a pair of hits. Michael Russell and Chaz Frank also had singles to round out the hitting for the Heels.
June 18
For today's version of 'This Day in Recent Carolina Baseball History' we go back to 2006 and 2013 for a pair of pitching masterpieces by Robert Woodard and Trent Thornton, one of which moved the Heels into the final of their bracket and the other of which kept the season alive.
In 2006 there were 12 schools in the ACC and only 10 conference baseball weekends so you had one team you didn't play in the regular season- for the Heels that happened to be Clemson. But as it turned out they ended up playing on a much bigger stage- the winners bracket in Omaha after the Heels beat Cal State-Fullerton and Clemson beat Georgia Tech in their openers.
Clemson was the #1 overall national seed. The Heels weren't seeded at all. So most of the college baseball world expected the Tigers to win when the teams faced off on June 18, 2006. But Robert Woodard was starting for the Heels, and he had other ideas.
Robert threw a scoreless 1st with no damage other than a 2 out walk, then followed that up with a 1-2-3 2nd and a 1-2-3 3rd.
In the bottom of the 3rd Mike Cavasinni hit a leadoff single and Reid Fronk brought him home on a double to right to make it 1-0. Josh Horton hit his own double to right center on the very next pitch and it brought Reid around to give the Heels a 2-0 lead.
As it turned out Robert didn't even need that extra run. He set the Tigers down 1-2-3 in the 4th, including a pair of strikeouts. In the 5th Clemson finally did get 2 runners on base for the first time all day with a walk and a single with 1 out. Robert got what should have been a foul pop out for the second out of the inning and it was dropped. But instead of letting that affect him adversely he just came back and got a pair of groundouts to escape the inning.
Clemson got a runner to 2nd in the 6th on a hit and an error. Robert got a strike out and a pop out to leave him there. The Tigers got runners to 1st and 2nd with 2 out in the 7th on a single and a walk. Robert got a groundout on his very first pitch to the next hitter to end the inning.
Clemson should have struck one of those times because Robert was done letting them get runners on base. In the 8th he got a line out and then a pair of fly outs and retired the side in 8 pitches.
It should be noted that Clemson's pitcher was nearly as good. The Heels only got one hit the entire rest of the way after the 3rd inning. Both starters pitched complete games and as a result the game lasted only 2 hours and 15 minutes, pretty unheard of for any college baseball game but especially for one in Omaha.Â
Robert came back out for the 9th. I could try to build it up as a suspenseful conclusion to a hard fought game. But it really wasn't because Robert just quickly and efficiently took care of business.Â
He struck out the first guy. He struck out the second guy. And it only took 2 pitches for him to get a groundout to end the game. He allowed only 3 hits in a complete game shutout, striking out 7, against the #1 team in the country. Given the stage there's a pretty good argument for it as the best pitching performance in program history, or the most impactful at the very least.
The win took Robert's record for the season to 7-1 and the team's record for the season to 52-13. It meant that they would get a couple days off before they faced whoever won an elimination game between Cal State-Fullerton and Clemson. Then the Heels would get two shots against whoever emerged from that, just needing one more win to get to the College World Series finals.
Josh Horton (including a double and a RBI) and Mike Cavasinni (including a run) each had a pair of hits for the Heels. Reid Fronk doubled and drove in and scored a run. Benji Johnson and Seth Williams had hits as well for the Heels. It wasn't much offense, but with the amazing night Robert had on the mound not much was needed.Â
On June 18, 2013 the Heels found themselves in a very different situation from the 2006 team. They were the #1 overall seed in the tournament but they'd lost their opening game in Omaha so they needed a win when they faced off against LSU just to stay alive.Â
The Heels were the road team and they didn't waste any time in getting the game off on the right foot. With 2 outs in the 1st Colin Moran worked a full count and then singled to keep the inning alive.Â
That brought up Brian Holberton who'd had a whole string of big home runs through the postseason. He'd knocked one out to tie the game against Clemson in the ACC Tournament when the Heels were down to their last out. He'd knocked one out in the deciding game of Supers against South Carolina to give the Heels an early lead. And he knocked one out here, a 2 run shot to right in a TD Ameritrade ballpark that's awfully hard on power hitting. The Heels took an early 2-0 lead.
Trent Thornton had spent most of the season doing an incredible job in the Heels bullpen but with the season on the line he got the start against the Tigers. He walked a couple guys with 2 outs in the 1st but then he got a fly out to end the threat. He retired the side 1-2-3 in the 2nd.
In the 3rd Landon Lassiter doubled to left on the first pitch of the inning and ColIn Moran singled to bring him in to make it 3-0. Brian Holberton followed up with a single and Cody Stubbs earned a walk to load the bases with nobody out but the Heels couldn't get anyone else across.
In the bottom of the inning it looked like that might come back to bite them. LSU got runners on 1st and 2nd with one out, bringing future big league super star Alex Bregman to the plate. But Trent got him to hit the ball weakly back to the mound and went to 2nd for the force. A walk loaded the bases with 2 outs but Trent got a pop out to end the inning without surrendering any runs.
Trent followed that up with a 1-2-3 4th. In the 5th the Tigers again got runners to 1st and 2nd with one out, bringing Alex Bregman to the plate. This time Trent struck him out on three pitches. But LSU did get a 2 out single to bring in a run and cut their deficit to 3-1.
The Tigers got a 1 out single in the 6th but Trent struck out their next two hitters to end the inning. In the 7th Colin Moran singled to lead off, his third hit of the day. Brian Holberton had hit a big home run earlier in the game. Here he was asked to bunt and he did it well, moving Colin into scoring position. Colin and Brian were freshman year roommates and here in their last week as Tar Heels you had Brian hitting a bomb to score Colin in one inning and Brian bunting to move Colin over in another inning. They'd come a long way from the fall of 2010 in Avery.Â
After an out Skye Bolt made a 2 out single to left that brought Colin around to score to make it 4-1.
LSU got runners on the corners with no one out in the bottom of the 7th, bringing Alex Bregman to the plate with a real chance to get his team back into the game. He hit into a double play. It scored a run to get the game within 4-2 but 2 outs for a run is a trade you'll make in that situation.
Trent really dominated Bregman that day and it got me curious if the same thing happened last year in the majors and it did indeed. Trent held Alex to 1 for 5 with just a single when they faced off against each other in 2019.Â
Trent got a line out to center to end the 7th and keep a 2 run lead. He left the game after issuing a leadoff walk in the 8th but he went 7 innings and only allowed 2 runs. He actually let a ton of people get on base- 9 hits and 4 walks- much less dominant than he usually was his freshman year. But he got outs when he needed to and his eventual win for this game made him 12-1 on the season.Â
Chris McCue came on for the Heels and in his first inning of work he alternated getting outs and letting runners on base. He got a line out but then allowed a single. He got a fly out but then hit a guy. That loaded the bases and brought the go ahead run to the plate. But he got a fly out to end the inning with the Heels still on top 4-2.
Chris stayed on to close it out in the 9th. He got Alex Bregman to line out to lead off the inning, making him 0-4 on the day. After a one out walk he got a fly out and a strikeout to finish the win and earn just his second save of the season. With Trent starting he was asked to play a different role than the setup one he had thrived in all season but he rose to the occasion and did a great job closing out the game.Â
The win made the Heels 58-11 for the season and to give you an idea of what a pair of juggernauts this game matched against each other, LSU's season ended at 57-11. The Heels moved on to a 5th game of the year against N.C. State to determine who would win the 5 game season series between the two teams...and more importantly who would win to stay in Omaha and who would go home.
Colin Moran led the way for the Heels with 3 hits, scoring twice and driving in a run. Brian Holberton (including a home run, 2 RBI, and a run), Skye Bolt (including a double and an RBI), and Landon Lassiter (including a double and a run) each had a pair of hits. Michael Russell and Chaz Frank also had singles to round out the hitting for the Heels.
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