March 16, 2002

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.- North Carolina first baseman Ryan Blake set a career-high by going 5-for-5 with three RBIs as the Tar Heels defeated Maryland, 8-2, Saturday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill. The loss was the second straight for the Terrapins and it is the first time this season Maryland has lost two in a row.

For the second straight day, Carolina scored one run in the bottom of the first. After shortstop Russ Adams singled and stole second, first baseman Ryan Blake singled to left to score Adams to give UNC a 1-0 lead.

In the third, Carolina scored a pair of runs to take a 3-0 advantage. Blake drove in his second run of the game on a single to right and third baseman Chad Maples reached on an error when Maryland left fielder Will Frazier (Mitchellville, Md.) dropped a fly ball, to score Maples.

Maryland scored two runs in the fifth to make the score 3-2, UNC. Both right fielder Matt Swope (New Carrollton, Md.) and shortstop John McCurdy (Crofton, Md.) walked with the bases loaded for the Terrapins' two runs.

Carolina added three runs in the seventh on three hits and one error and scored twice in the eighth to close the scoring at 8-2.

Carolina reliever Kevin Brower (2-0) earned the win after pitching 4.1 innings of relief without allowing a run. Maryland starter Todd Ainsworth (Hershey, Pa.) was tabbed with the loss as he pitched five innings and surrendered two earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. The loss was the first this season for Ainsworth (3-1).

With the loss, Maryland fell to 14-4, 0-2 in the ACC. Carolina improved to 9-8 on the year and 2-0 in the conference. The two teams finish their three-game series Sunday at 2 p.m.