WRAL Sports Fan

WRALSportsFan

BASEBALL: Carolina Blanks Princeton, 7-0

Mar 19, 2008

CARY, N.C. - Freshman right-hander Patrick Johnson and three relievers combined on a two-hit shutout to pitch No. 3 North Carolina past Princeton, 7-0, Wednesday at Cary's USA Baseball National Training Complex. Shortstop Garrett Gore and outfielder Ben Bunting each drove in two runs for the Tar Heels (15-3).

Behind Johnson (2-0), Carolina logged its second straight shutout. The Conover, N.C., native went five innings, allowed just one hit and matched his career high with seven strikeouts for the second straight start. He walked one and hit one but retired the final eight batters he faced before senior righty Tyler Trice came on in the sixth and worked a pair of shutout innings. Freshmen Ryan Leach and Logan Munson each worked a scoreless inning in relief, as Carolina held the Tigers (6-5) hitless between the second and ninth innings.

Sophomore Dustin Ackley extended his 22-game hitting streak thanks to a single in the sixth, and classmate Kyle Seager pushed his career-best hitting streak to 14 games with a bunt single in the fifth, as each Tar Heel starter had one hit on the night. Bunting, who singled home two runs in the second, and Gore, who added a sacrifice fly in the second and an RBI single in the eighth, provided most of the run production.

Princeton right-hander Steven Miller (1-1) also went five innings and struck out five but allowed five runs * four earned * on six hits and three walks.

Carolina broke the game open in the second with four runs off of Miller. A pair of walks and an infield single by Seth Williams loaded the bases for catcher Mark Fleury, who singled to first to plate the first run. After a sacrifice fly to right by Gore gave the Tar Heels a two-run lead, Bunting singled to left center to score Seager, who walked, and Kyle Shelton, who came on to pinch run for Williams, who was injured when legging out his infield single.

The Tar Heels made it 5-0 in the third when Princeton shortstop Dan DeGeorge misplayed a two-out pop-up off the bat of Fleury, allowing designated hitter Tim Federowicz to score from third. Federowicz led off the inning with a single and moved around t o third on a wild pitch and a passed ball.

Carolina added to its lead with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Senior Chad Flack doubled off the centerfield wall and scored on a Tim Fedroff sacrifice fly to center in the sixth. In the seventh, Pinch hitter Zeke Blanton drew a two-out walk and scored from second on a single through the left side by Gore for the 7-0 Tar Heel advantage.

The Tar Heels and Tigers are back in action at 3 p.m. Wednesday.