No. 2 UNC Takes Series With 12-11 Win Over No. 1 Miami
May 17, 2008
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – North Carolina’s Tim Federowicz recorded a game-ending strikeout as the second ranked Tar Heels held on to defeat No. 1 Miami, 12-11, Saturday afternoon and win the rubber game of the Atlantic Coast Conference series at Mark Light Field. Junior first baseman Yonder Alonso ended up 4-for-5 with three RBI and his 19th home run of the season for the Hurricanes (43-8, 23-5 ACC) who dropped just their first conference series of the season.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
UM starter Enrique Garcia (5-2) suffered the loss, giving up six runs – four earned – on eight hits in three innings of work. P.J. Fisher came on in relief and allowed one run while David Gutierrez allowed five in 1 2/3 innings. Kyle Bellamy and Carlos Gutierrez combined to throw the final 4 1/3 innings of scoreless ball.
Jemile Weeks scored three runs for the fifth time this season, finishing the afternoon 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. Blake Tekotte also plated three runs for UM.
Colin Bates (6-0) earned the win in relief of starter Matt Harvey, who allowed four runs on two hits in 1 2/3 innings. Bates allowed two runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings before Rob Catapano and Rob Wooten each went 2/3 innings, allowing two runs apiece. Federowicz recorded his first save of the season for the Tar Heels, allowing one run in one inning of work.
Tim Fedroff led the Tar Heel attack, going 2-for-5 with a run and five RBI. Kyle Shelton also had a solid day at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored while Kyle Seager had two hits and two RBI and Federowicz had two hits and three RBI.
Miami made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth. Yasmani Grandal led off the inning with a walk. After Tekotte reached on a fielder’s choice, Weeks was hit by a pitch before Alonso brought home Tekotte with a single to right drawing the Hurricanes within, 12-11. With runners on the corners and two outs, Federowicz got Dennis Raben swinging to close the game out.
The Hurricanes started its rally in the sixth. A Raben two-run double highlighted a three-run sixth for UM before the Hurricanes scored three more in the in the seventh – capped off by Alonso’s two-run shot to left – to cut the deficit to 12-10.
UNC took its first lead in the fourth when it scored four runs to go up 8-4. The first five batters in the inning reached base with a single, an error, a walk, another single and a double. With the bases loaded, Shelton singled to center to put UNC up 5-4 before Fedroff smacked a two-run double to center, scoring Mark Fleury and Dustin Ackley. Two batters later, Seager’s ground out to second scored Shelton to give the Tar Heels the four-run advantage.
Already up by four, North Carolina added another four more runs in the fifth on a Shelton RBI single and a three-run homer by Federoff, pushing the lead to 12-4.
For the first time in the series, Miami got on the board first, taking a 2-0 lead after one. With one out, Jemile Weeks singled to right and advanced to third on an error and a stolen base. After consecutive walks by Mark Sobolewski and Raben loaded the bases, Jackson drove a single to center, scoring Weeks and Sobolewski for the early two-run lead.
UNC got a run back in the second to cut the UM lead to 2-1. Seager led off the inning with a double to left-center before Federowicz followed with a double of his own down the line in right, scoring Seager from second. The Hurricanes loaded the bases again in the second with three straight two-out walks by Tekotte, Weeks and Alonso before Sobolewski doubled to center to put UM up 4-1.
The Tar Heels tied the game up at four in the third with consecutive singles by Seager and Federowicz. Seager brought home Shelton, who had singled earlier in the inning, for the first run of the inning before Federowicz plated Flack and Seager to tie it up.
The Hurricanes return to action Wednesday when first round action of the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament gets underway at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville (Fla.). The tournament bracket will be announced on Sunday.
Game Notes
– The loss on Saturday secured the series win for North Carolina and UM’s first series loss of the season.
– Junior first baseman Yonder Alonso hit his team-leading 19th home run in the seventh inning. He homered in all three games in the series and now has 13 home runs in the last 21 games.
