Feb. 27, 2009

No. 1 North Carolina Take Two From Seton Hall
Solid pitching and some clutch hitting gave No. 1 North Carolina a sweep of Friday’s doubleheader with Seton Hall. The Tar Heels won game one, 5-1, then came back in the nightcap to beat the Pirates, 4-3. The pair of wins improved UNC’s record to 6-1.

Tarron Robinson's pinch-hit sacrifice fly plated Garrett Gore to lift No. 1 North Carolina to a 4-3 walk-off win over Seton Hall Friday in game two of a doubleheader at Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium. Starters Adam Warren and Keith Cantwell kept both offenses in check over the first six innings, but the Tar Heels (6-1) and Pirates (2-3) went back and forth late, combining for seven runs over the final three frames.

All-America right-hander Alex White worked 6 1/3 strong innings, and five different Tar Heels drove in a run to pace No. 1 North Carolina past Seton Hall, 5-1, Friday in the series opener at Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium. With the threat of inclement weather for the rest of the weekend, the teams will play a second game beginning at approximately 5:46 p.m.

• Game One Recap
• Game Two Recap

Florida State Remains Perfect, Defeats Auburn 14-5
After pulling out the one-run victory on Thursday night, fifth-ranked Florida State (6-0) remained perfect on the young season clubbing a season-high 19 hits en route to a 14-5 victory over Auburn (2-4) on Friday. In his second start of the season, freshman Sean Gilmartin got all the run support he needed in moving to 2-0 on the year. The southpaw from Moorpark, Calif., threw seven strong innings striking out nine in the win.

The Seminole offense was once again led by Tyler Holt who registered his third career five-hit game. The sophomore center fielder finished the game 5-for-6 with two doubles and a pair of RBIs. Catcher Rafael Lopez was a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. Jason Stidham and Stuart Tapley also recorded a multi-hit game with three and two, respectively.

Gilmartin was the story on Friday as he looked sharp in his seven innings of work. He struck out five of the first seven batters that he faced and faced no more than four batters in any inning. Gilmartin retired the Tigers in order on three separate occasions.

Weislow Powers No. 10 Miami Past No. 12 Florida, 8-5
Senior Jonathan Weislow hit his first two career homers - including a game-winning three run homer in the sixth - as the 10th-ranked University of Miami baseball team took game one of a three-game set against No. 12 Florida, 8-5, in front of 4,714 fans Friday night at McKethan Stadium.

Weislow, who in 51 career games coming into the contest had just 10 RBI in 51 at-bats, finished 2-for-4 with the two homers, a walk, five RBI and two runs scored. It was the second time in as many games a `Cane hit two homers in a game after junior Jason Hagerty accomplished the feat in last weekend's series finale against Rutgers (2/22).

With the win, Miami improves to 4-1 overall. Florida suffered its first loss of the season, falling to 5-1. 

Virginia Sweeps Both Ends of Friday Twinbill
The Virginia baseball team won both ends of its doubleheader Friday at Davenport Field. In the first game, the Cavaliers defeated Fordham, 6-2. UVa won the nightcap, 11-4, over Delaware to improve to 7-0 this season.

John Hicks (Fr., Sandy Hook, Va.) went 4-for-8 with a home run and three RBI in the doubleheader, while Dan Grovatt (So., Tabernacle, N.J.) added four hits in eight at-bats. Virginia pitchers combined to strike out 28 batters in the twinbill, highlighted by freshman Danny Hultzen’s (Bethesda, Md.) 12-strikeout performance in the opener.

Hultzen had a memorable second start, recording a dozen strikeouts in six strong innings. It is the most strikeouts for a Cavalier pitcher since Sean Doolittle posted 13 on April 28, 2006, at Maryland. Hultzen (2-0) allowed only two unearned runs, six hits and a walk. Robert Morey (So., Virginia Beach, Va.) pitched the final three innings to earn his first save of the season. The two combined to strike out 16 Fordham batters.

Virginia rallied from an early three-run deficit to pull out an 11-4 win over Delaware. Parker went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI. He also cranked his second home run. Hicks homered and drove in three runs, while David Coleman (So., Richmond, Va.) scored three times as part of a 2-for-4 effort. 

Duke Sweeps Double Header Against Dartmouth 8-5, 6-1
Two dominant pitching performances from starters Christopher Manno and Andrew Wolcott helped the Duke baseball team sweep a double header against Dartmouth 8-5 and 6-1 Friday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field.

Manno (1-1), a left-handed junior, started game one and held the Big Green (0-2) to two runs over seven complete innings to earn his first win of the season, and senior right-hander Andrew Wolcott (2-0) followed with a seven-inning, eight-strikeout performance to pick up the win in game two. Manno held Dartmouth scoreless for the first six innings and gave up just three hits and a walk, while Wolcott allowed just one unearned run, matching a career high for innings pitched and just missing another career high with eight strikeouts. Wolcott gave up just two hits and a walk – his first free pass issued this season – and fired 76 pitches, 54 of which were strikes. After surrendering two singles in the first inning, Wolcott did not give another base hit for his final six frames.

In his first two starts, Wolcott owns a 1.29 ERA, 14 strikeouts and just one walk through 14.0 complete innings. He has given up just six hits to hold opposing hitters to a .122 average. He has thrown just 150 pitches on the season and is averaging 10.7 pitches per inning. 

Impromptu doubleheader leads to pair of Hokie wins
Sophomore pitcher Justin Wright struck out a career-high nine batters in the nightcap of a doubleheader to help the Virginia Tech baseball team complete a sweep of visiting Bucknell on Friday at English Field.

The Hokies improved to 7-1 with the two wins (10-4 in game one and 2-1 in game two), and have recorded their best start to a season since going 10-0-1 to begin the 1992 campaign. The Bison fell to 0-6.

Originally scheduled for a twin-bill on Saturday, the two squads decided just before 2 p.m. to play the doubleheader on Friday after looking at Saturday’s weather forecast and seeing that playing just one game would be a tough task. 

NC State Sweeps A Pair From Hofstra
An offensive outburst gave NC State a sweep of Friday’s doubleheader with Hofstra. The Wolfpack scored more runs in Friday’s two games than they had in the previous four. NC State opened the twinbill with an 11-4 triumph then took the second affair, 15-2.

The top four hitters in NC State’s lineup combined to drive in nine runs, and lefthander Jimmy Gillheeney pitched seven strong innings Friday to lead the Wolfpack past Hofstra 11-4 in the first game of a doubleheader at Doak Field at Dail Park.

NC State put crooked numbers all over the scoreboard Friday, scoring three runs in an inning twice and four runs in an inning twice to hand Hofstra a 15-2 defeat in the second game of a doublheader at Doak Field at Dail Park. NC State won the opener 8-2.

• Game One Recap
• Game Two Recap  

Terps Use Ninth-Inning Heroics to Topple Quinnipiac, 11-10
Down one run with two men on and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, David Poutier saved the day for the University of Maryland baseball team, lacing a game-winning, two-run double to right-center field Friday evening to complete an 11-10, come-from-behind victory against the visiting Quinnipiac Bobcats.

Although Poutier received the hero's welcome after the winning run scored, Maryland's ninth-inning rally was all about teamwork and hustle. Freshman Taylor Buran led off with a sharp single through the left side of the infield and was sacrificed to second on a Dan Benick bunt. After Matthew Murakami struck out, Quinnipiac reliever Joe Duffy appeared to have finished off the Terps as he got A.J. Casario to hit a weak, check-swing nibbler down the third-base line.

However, Casario hustled to first and beat Bryn Doyle's throw to keep Maryland (2-4) alive. After a first-pitch strike, Poutier took a pitch on the outer half of the plate and delivered it perfectly into the right-center field gap. Buran came across for the tying run and the ball got all the way to the warning track and gave center fielder Ben Farina some trouble. 

Boston College Rolls To 6-0 With 10-5 Win vs. Bethune-Cookman
The Boston College baseball team won its sixth-straight game to open the season with a 10-5 victory against Bethune-Cookman Friday at Swanson Stadium in the FGCU Classic. Sophomore John Leonard tossed a solid game to get the win and junior Tony Sanchez had four hits and five RBI. The Eagles 6-0 start is the best in over 10 years.

Leonard pitched 6.0 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits. He struck out seven batters and walked one. Sanchez went 4-for-5 in the game with five RBI and his first homer of the season. His four hits are a career high.

Junior Robbie Anston went 3-for-6 with three runs and a pair of doubles. Freshman Brad Zapenas scored three times while sophomores Garret Smith and Mike Sudol both drove in a pair of runs. 

Wake Forest Downs Fairleigh Dickinson 11-1
Senior Weldon Woodall went 3-for-4 at the plate and tied career highs in runs scored with three and RBIs with four, while freshman Austin Stadler twirled a gem on the mound, picking up his second win in as many outings as Wake Forest defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 11-1 on Friday night at the Wake Forest Baseball Tournament presented by Hampton Inn and Sleep Inn.

With the win, Wake Forest improves to 6-0 on the season, its best start since the 1964 season. Fairleigh Dickinson drops to 0-1 on the year.

Wake Forest was originally going to face Miami (Ohio) on Friday night, but rain in the Winston-Salem area cancelled the second game of the day between William & Mary and Fairleigh Dickinson and the Wake Forest-FDU game was moved up to Friday night.