March 18, 2007

No. 1 Tar Heels, No. 7 Cavaliers Split Doubleheader Sunday

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 1 North Carolina rebounded from back-to-back losses to No. 7 Virginia and avoided its first sweep at home since 2003 with a 9-4 victory in game two of a doubleheader Sunday at Boshamer Stadium. The Cavaliers (19-4, 3-3 ACC) scored a 9-6 win in the first game, before the Tar Heels (18-3, 4-2 ACC) hammered out 13 hits en route to the game two victory.

The series loss was the first at home for UNC since going 0-2-1 against Miami at Boshamer in 2005.

Freshman first baseman Dustin Ackley, who went 10-for-13 in the series, led Carolina with six hits and three RBI Sunday to extend his career-best hitting streak to 13 games. Ackley was 2-for-5 with an RBI in game two, while left fielder Reid Fronk was 3-for-5 with a season-best four RBI. Tim Federowicz also added three hits, while Benji Johnson and Tim Fedroff each had two hits in the second contest. Johnson also matched a career high with three runs scored.

Right-hander Luke Putkonen (4-0) improved to 10-0 in his career after scattering eight hits and three walks over 5 2/3 innings. He was tagged with four runs and struck out five. Virginia lefty Matt Packer (2-1) allowed seven runs on nine hits over four innings.

Led by juniors Andrew Carignan and Tyler Trice, Carolina's bullpen allowed just two hits over 3 1/3 innings.

Cavalier Baseball Tops No. 1 North Carolina 9-6 in Sunday's First Game

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The No. 7 Virginia baseball team clinched a series win over No. 1 North Carolina with a 9-6 victory over the Tar Heels in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader. Combined with Saturday's 7-2 11-inning win, the Cavaliers have captured a series win in Chapel Hill since 2003.

Virginia improves to 19-3 (3-2 ACC) with the win, while North Carolina falls to 17-3 (3-2 ACC).

Sean Doolittle (Tabernacle, N.J.) went 4-for-5 with 2 RBIs and Beau Seabury (Mount Vernon, Wash.) was 3-for-5 with two runs scored to lead Virginia offensively. Greg Miclat (Concord, N.C.) was 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, while Patrick Wingfield (Winchester, Va.) was also 2-for-5.

Andrew Carraway (Marietta, Ga.) got the win for Virginia to improve to 3-0 on the season. He pitched three innings of relief, allowing one run on four hits. Casey Lambert (Harrisonburg, Va.) struck out three in the ninth to record his fourth save of the season.

Virginia took the early lead with two runs in the top of the first. Miclat led off with a single to center. After he moved to second on a wild pitch, he scored on Doolittle's double off the right field wall. With two outs, Brandon Guyer's (Herndon, Va.) single up the middle scored Doolittle for the Cavaliers' second run.

Terps Bounce Back With 5-4 Upset Victory Over No. 23 Miami

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The Maryland baseball team rebounded from a tough loss Saturday evening as it took the final game of its ACC weekend series Sunday at Miami, 5-4. The Terrapins (13-7, 3-3) opened up a modest lead for the second game in a row, but unlike yesterday's 4-3 loss, were able to hold on as junior Brett Cecil retired all four batters he faced for his sixth save of the year.

Junior starter Kevin Biringer nearly held the Hurricanes (14-10, 2-4) scoreless through his six and 1/3 inning stint, as he tied a career-high with six strikeouts while scattering four hits. Miami starter Enrique Garcia (1-2) took the loss for the Canes after pitching six solid innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out six.

Maryland took advantage of Miami's defensive miscues early in the game, as two errors allowed junior Steve Braun to score the first run of the day in the third inning. Braun reached on a fielding error by shortstop Ryan Jackson, then stole second base and took third on a throwing error by catcher Jason Hagerty in the same play.

Two batters later, freshman AJ Casario continued his torrid performance at the plate when he doubled home Braun. Casario finished his day 2-for-3 with an RBI, and completed a 7-for-11, three-RBI weekend at Mark Light Field.

Boston College Defeats Georgia Tech, 9-2

ATLANTA. Ga. - After scoring only two runs combined in the first two games, the Eagles exploded for nine runs on 10 hits to take the final game of the three game set between the two squads this afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium. The win improves the Eagles' record to 6-8-1 overall and 4-2 in conference play. Georgia Tech falls to 11-10 overall and 3-3 in ACC action.

BC would score a pair of runs on one hit while being aided by three Yellow Jacket errors to take a 2-0 edge in the third inning. With two outs, Joseph Ayers reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on the Jackets' first error of the game before scoring on an RBI single by John Ayers. Ayers then stole second base and advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt before scoring on a fielding error by Georgia Tech.

The Eagles would add two more runs in the sixth, increasing their lead to 4-0, but the Yellow Jackets would counter with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame off of BC starter Terry Doyle to cut the lead to 4-2.

BC would open the game up in the top of the seventh, scoring four more times on three hits. Jett Ruiz would open the inning by singling up the middle. Ruiz would advance to second when John Spatola was hit by a pitch and score on a Ryan Hutchinson single. Three more Eagles would score as BC benefited from a hit batsman and two walks.

Florida State Sweeps Series With 11-1 Victory Over Wake Forest

Tallahassee, Fla. - Florida State (23-0, 3-0 ACC) scored a combined 10 runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings as the Seminoles broke open a tie ball game to down Wake Forest (11-10, 2-4 ACC) 11-1 Sunday afternoon at Dick Howser Stadium. With the sweep over the Demon Deacons, the Seminoles have now opened league play by sweeping its opponents 11 times since joining the ACC in 1992. Junior Ryan Strauss settled down after a shaky start and pitched seven innings allowing just one run on five hits for his fifth win of the season.

Five Seminole batters recorded two hits on the afternoon, while Mark Hallberg, Buster Posey and Dennis Guinn each record two RBI's. Junior Jack Rye extended his hitting streak to a career-best 20 games with his single to left in the fourth. Travis Anderson, who started as the designated hitter for the second straight game, recorded a two-out double in the second for his second two-bagger in as many games.

Strauss (5-0) got off to a shaky start as he threw 34 pitches in the first. After striking out Brett Linnenkohl to start the game, he issued back-to-back walks to Eric Williams and Allan Dykstra before giving up an RBI single up the middle to designated hitter Willy Fox. After a fielder's choice groundout, Strauss gave up his third walk of the inning to load the bases with two outs for Demon Deacon catcher Austin Jones. Strauss would bear down to get the final out striking out Jones to end the inning.

#6 Tigers Rally From Early Deficit to Complete Sweep of Duke with 9-6 Victory Sunday

Clemson, SC - Five Tiger relievers combined for 7.0 scoreless innings and all nine starters scored at least one run, as #6 Clemson completed a three-game sweep of Duke with a 9-6 victory on Sunday afternoon in front of 4,092 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The Tigers improved to 14-4 overall and 3-0 in the ACC, while the Blue Devils dropped to 17-7 overall and 0-6 in the ACC. It was the Tigers' 21st straight ACC home victory dating back to 2005.

Matt Vaughn, Justin Sarratt, Matt Zoltak, Stephen Clyne, and Daniel Moskos worked a combined 7.0 scoreless innings of relief. The quintet gave up only three hits and one walk while striking out five. Moskos also earned his fifth save of the season.

Vaughn (1-0) silenced the Blue Devil bats after Duke scored six runs off starter Alan Farina. Vaughn only allowed two hits over 4.0 innings while striking out three to earn his first career win. Starter Jonathan Foreman (1-1) took the loss for Duke after allowing seven runs (four earned) over 2.1 innings pitched. Only four of the nine runs allowed by the Blue Devils were earned.

Eight of the nine batters in Clemson's starting lineup had at least one hit and all nine starters scored one run. Freshman Addison Johnson had a 2-for-4 day with an RBI and fellow freshman J.D. Burgess had three RBIs. Brad Chalk also made Sunday's contest the 45th game in a row he reached base via a hit or a walk dating back to last season, as he was 3-for-4 with a walk.

Hokies beat Wolfpack in extra-innings: State rallies in ninth, but Tech wins in 11th

RALEIGH, N.C. - Virginia Tech squandered a three-run lead in the ninth inning, then took advantage of two North Carolina State errors to defeat the Wolfpack 6-4 in 11-innings on Sunday. The hard-earned ACC victory improved the Hokies' record to 13-8 overall and 3-3 in the conference.

Tech got outstanding pitching from senior Adam Redd (Dumfries, Va.) on the way to a 2-0 lead after six innings and went into the bottom of the ninth holding a 4-1 advantage. A three-run, five-hit NC State rally sent the game into extra innings.

Redd, who also held down the designated hitter duties, got Tech's 11th-inning rally going with a one-out single off NC State reliever Eryk McConnell (1-1). Redd moved to second on a single by shortstop Warren Schaeffer (Vandergrift, Pa.) and scored on a Wolfpack throwing error that allowed Schaeffer to advance to third. Schaeffer headed for home when second baseman Matt Hacker (Richmond, Va.) grounded to third base and arrived safely thanks to an errant throw to the plate.

Sophomore reliever Rhett Ballard (High Point, N.C.), who entered the game in the eighth inning, got caught by State's three-run rally in the ninth, but continued to battle the Wolfpack in extra innings. He struck out four of the last seven batters he faced to post his fourth win against just one loss. Ballard worked a total of four innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out a total of seven batters and walked just one.