Feb. 16, 2007

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina senior right-hander Robert Woodard retired the first 20 batters he faced and matched a career high with seven strikeouts over 7 2/3 shutout innings in an 11-0 win over Seton Hall Friday in the season opener for both teams at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels (1-0) won their 10th straight season opener and 13th consecutive game over the Pirates (0-1).

Offensively, Carolina pounded out 14 hits, and six Tar Heels tallied multi-hit efforts. Freshman outfielder Drew Poulk and junior catcher Benji Johnson each hit home runs, and rookie outfielder Dustin Ackley roped a pair of RBI doubles to lead UNC's balanced attack.

Woodard (1-0) threw 63 of his 80 pitches for strikes and cruised through the first 6 2/3 innings before Matt Smedberg doubled off the wall in right center to break up the perfect game. Woodard, who struck out seven batters for the sixth time in his career, came back to fan Dan McDonald to end the inning and then got two outs in the seventh before Rob Wooten closed with 1 1/3 hitless innings of relief.

Woodard won for 19th time in his last 20 decisions to improve to 24-3 in his career and move into fifth on the Tar Heels' career win list. He also raised his career winning percentage to .889 to share the school record with former major leaguer Scott Bankhead. With the 7 2/3 innings worked Friday, Woodard also cracks UNC's top 10 in career innings pitched.

Lefty Dan Merklinger (0-1) took the loss after allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits over five-plus innings. He walked four and struck out two.

UNC opened the scoring in the third, as Poulk belted a 2-0 pitch out to left to become the first Tar Heel freshman to homer in his first collegiate at-bat since Richie Grimsley in 1995 and the first to go deep in his first game at Carolina since Brian Roberts in 1997.

After Poulk's solo shot, Ackley walked and scored on a single up the middle by shortstop Josh Horton to give the Tar Heels a 2-0 lead after three. Left fielder Reid Fronk drew a lead off walk in the fourth and later scored on Johnson's two-run home run off the scoreboard in left center. Poulk then reached on an error, stole second and crossed the plate on a double to right center by Ackley for Carolina's fifth run of the day.

UNC scored for a third straight frame in the fifth when first baseman Chad Flack reached on a walk to open the inning and scored two batters later on a double down the left field line by designated hitter Tim Federowicz. Poulk singled and scored on Ackley's second double to lead off the sixth, and Horton followed with a sacrifice fly to left for the second run of the inning.

Carolina closed out the scoring in the eighth on an RBI single by Federowicz and a run-scoring groundout by second baseman Kyle Seager.

Ackley, Horton, Fronk, Federowicz, Poulk and third baseman Kyle Shelton each had two hits on the afternoon, while Ackley, Horton, Federowicz and Johnson each drove in a pair of runs. Flack led UNC with three runs on the afternoon.

The series continues at 1 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday with Alex White and Luke Putkonen set to pitch for Carolina.