April 9, 2005

Final Stats

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - No. 7 North Carolina scored four runs in the sixth and seventh innings to overcome an early 2-0 Maryland lead and hold on for a 5-3 win on Saturday night. A two-run home run by Justin Webb in the sixth gave Carolina its first lead of the game at 3-2, and the Tar Heels held on for an eventual 5-3 victory. Pfinsgraff was solid in his fourth straight start decided by two runs or less, and Will Frazier broke a school record with his 82nd and 83rd career extra-base hits in the loss.

Pfinsgraff made his team-best sixth quality start of the season (6.0+ innings, 3 ER or fewer), going 6.0 innings and giving up six hits, no walks and three earned runs in the game. He didn't give up an earned run until Webb's sixth-inning home run and threw 59 of his 82 pitches for strikes.

Frazier got the Terps on the board in the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run. It was Frazier's sixth home run of the season and 30th of his career and moved his career extra-base hit total to 82 - a new school record.

Frazier took two close pitches for balls before lining a 2-0 Daniel Bard offering over the left-center field wall for a 1-0 Maryland lead. The home run also extended Frazier's hitting streak to 14 games, a new season-high by a Maryland player and was part of a 2-for-4 day that raised Frazier's season average over .300 for the first time since the season opener at Winthrop. Over the last seven games, Frazier has seven doubles, eight runs and six RBI, moving into a tie for the team lead in RBI (20) and extra-base hits (16).

In the third inning, Matt Maropis was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and Elliot Singletary drew a walk to put runners on first and second with one out. Truan Mehl brought Maropis around with a line-drive single into left-center field for his 20th RBI of the season and a two-run Maryland lead.

With two walks, a hit-by-pitch and single, Singletary reached base in all four of his plate appearances, and Maropis scored two of the team's three runs in the game.

North Carolina answered in the top of the fourth with an unearned run off Ben Pfinsgraff. Reid Fronk reached on an error to start the inning, and Justin Webb was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. Both runners moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Ellington, and Fronk scored on an RBI groundout by Jay Cox.

The Tar Heels put three more runs across in the top of the sixth inning to take their first lead of the game. A two-run home run by Justin Webb gave Carolina a 3-2 lead, and Chad Flack tacked on the fourth Tar Heel run with an RBI single into center field.

Pfinsgraff came out to start the seventh, but gave way to senior Chris Bowen after Chase Younts reached on an error to lead off the inning and Greg Mangum hit a chopper through the left side of the infield. Reid Fronk laid down a bunt to move the runners up, and Bowen bobbled the ball trying to go to third base to get the lead runner. All three runners were safe on the play to load the bases with no outs. Bowen induced a groundball out from Justin Webb, but Younts scored an unearned run from third base on the play to give Carolina a 5-2 lead.

Maryland answered back with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning. With one out in the inning, Matt Maropis reached on a fielder's choice groundball to third base. Jason Von Behren, who had drawn a one-out walk, was forced out at second base for the second out of the inning. With two outs, Bobby Ryan walked to move Maropis into scoring position, and Carolina's Daniel Bard was pulled in favor of Jonathan Hovis.

Elliot Singletary was quick to get to Hovis, lining the third pitch of his at-bat into left field to score Maropis from second and pull Maryland within two runs at 5-3. Truan Mehl nearly plated another run with a hard groundball down the first base line, but UNC first baseman Chad Flack made a nice play to field it and flip to Hovis for the putout.

Bowen didn't allow a hit in the eighth or ninth innings to keep the game at 5-3, and the Terps came close to tying the game up in the bottom of the ninth. Jason Von Behren beat out a slow roller down the third base line with one out to bring the tying run to the plate. Matt Maropis represented the tying run and drove a 1-1 Hovis offering deep into right field. Carolina Right fielder Seth Williams went back on the ball and made the catch in stride on the warning track for the second out of the inning. Bobby Ryan worked a 2-2 count, but lined out to right field to end the game.