March 18, 2006
Box Score
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Third-ranked North Carolina rallied late with a pair of home runs, lifting them to a 11-7 victory over the Maryland Terrapins (8-12, 3-5 ACC) at Boshamer Field on Saturday afternoon. Five Terps had multi-hit efforts but the team could not overcome four errors as Carolina evened the weekend series.
Tar Heel first baseman Chad Flack hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh and catcher Tim Federowicz added a three-run shot in the eighth as UNC came from behind to spoil Maryland's bid at back-to-back upset wins over the national contenders.
Chad Durakis, Jordan Wilson and Nick Jowers each went 2-for-4 and Dan Melvin and Gerry Spessard finished 2-for-5 in a losing effort.
The Terps were in control early on, racking up six runs and nine hits off of Tar Heel starter Andrew Miller. The All America candidate pitched just 5.0 innings, his shortest outing of the year, and left with his team trailing by a run. But Jonathan Hovis (4-1) limited Maryland to one run on four hits over the final four innings, bailing out Miller and saving him from his first loss of the season.
Seth Overbey (0-1), who surrendered both home runs, was charged with the loss for the Terps. After not allowing a single run in his previous four appearances (7.0 innings), North Carolina scored six runs on seven hits off the senior right-hander in 4.0 innings of relief.
Maryland scored twice in the top of the second to take the first lead of the game. Durakis led off with a single and, after moving to third on a base hit by the designated hitter Wilson, came in on a wild pitch by Miller. Following an infield single by third baseman Mike Murphy, Wilson scored on a throwing error by the second baseman to make it 2-0, Terps.
Carolina fought back in the bottom of the inning, putting up three runs to capture the lead. Flack reached as the leadoff man on a hit-by-pitch and came around to score on a throwing error by Murphy. Centerfielder Seth Williams singled in the tying run and Josh Horton put UNC up, 3-2, on a sacrifice fly to left.
But the lead would not hold for long, as Maryland came charging back with three more in the third. Spessard singled and scored on a double by the second baseman Melvin to tie the game up. After moving to third on a base hit by Durakis, Melvin came in to score on an error by the catcher to give the Terps a one-run lead. Wilson then brought Durakis home on a fielder's choice to the pitcher as Maryland went up, 5-3.
Leftfielder Jay Cox hit a solo homer to left off Maryland starter Casey Baron in the bottom of the inning, slicing Maryland's lead in half. The Terps and Heels would each score one run in the fourth to make it a 6-5 ballgame, which is how things would stay until the bottom of the seventh when Carolina took a one-run edge. The Tar Heels put up four more in the eighth on three hits, including a three-run homer, and one Terp error to surge ahead, 11-6.
Down by five runs in the ninth inning, Maryland would not lay down without a fight. Spessard connected on an opposite field home run to lead off and Melvin singled to left. But the Tar Heel lead would incur no further damage, as Hovis closed out the game for UNC on a ground ball to second by Wink Nolan.
