North Carolina State University Athletics
Third-ranked UNC Uses Five-Run Fifth to Down Pack
3/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BY TIM PEELER
Shunick, spotted to a 2-0 lead and cruising through four innings, had early run support, but ran out of glove support in the fifth inning.
A throwing error by shortstop Tommy Foschi with one out in the bottom half of the fifth started a Tar Heel rally. That was followed by a single to right, a single to left, with an error by left fielder Ryan Pond, who let the soft liner past him to score two runs and tie the game.
Two batters later, Tar Heel senior third baseman Chad Flack continued his hot hitting against the Wolfpack, blasting a three-homer over the wall in left-centerfield. It was Flack’s fourth career home run against the Wolfpack and his 14th, 15th and 16th RBIs.
“It was one bad thing after another,” Shunick said. “They just kept coming. I made a bad pitch and Flack hit that ball out. It was a tough loss, but the series isn’t over in one game. We have to come out the next two days and hopefully take the series.”
The Tar Heels (21-4 overall, 8-2) held on for a 5-2 win, their 11th victory in the last 12 games. For the Wolfpack (14-9, 4-6), it is the fourth loss in the last five games.
The Wolfpack took an early lead in the top of the second inning after right-fielder Matt Payne singled to right and Pond walked, the Wolfpack’s first back-to-back baserunners in 41 at-bats. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners, leftfielder Jeremy Synan drove in two runs with a single to centerfield.
The rally ended, however, when Synan got caught off first base when catcher Chris Schaeffer struck out, for an atypical inning-ending double play.
The Tar Heels threatened in the bottom of the second when Flack singled into left field and advanced to second on a wild pitch with no outs. But, in succession, Shunick got Seth Williams to pop up to second base and Mark Fluery to strike out. Shunick finished off the inning himself by making a nice fielding play on Kyle Shelton’s bunt attempt, throwing across his body for the inning’s third out.
Shunick pitched out of another jam in the bottom of the fourth, as the Tar Heels put runners on first and third with two outs. But
The Wolfpack loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, on a pair of walks to Marcus Jones and Pat Ferguson, with Payne’s second single sandwiched between. But pinch hitter Devon Cartwright struck out on three pitches to end the inning.
“Twice we had runners on first and third with one out, so we had our opportunities,” Wolfpack coach Elliott Avent. “We just didn’t put the ball in play.
“In a game like this, you have to get the big hits. They did with Flack, and we didn’t get it done.”
Tar Heel starter Alex White (4-2) took the win, matching his career high with 11 strikeouts in just 5 2/3 innings. It was the third double-digit strikeout game of his career. His first 11-strikeout game came last year against the Wolfpack.
“I thought we came out and were very aggressive early and swung the bats OK,” Avent said. “But Alex White is a good pitcher.”
The two teams meet again on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Olympic Training Complex in
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
