May 18, 2007
Box Score
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Senior Casey Baron started his final game in a Maryland uniform and nearly led the Terrapins to an upset in the series opener against No. 4 North Carolina Friday night, but the Tar Heels were able to score three unanswered runs to take a 6-3 victory at Shipley Field.
UNC (43-11, 19-9) held the Terps (26-28, 7-21) hitless through the final 3.3 innings of the contest as it took the lid-lifter in the two-day, three-game weekend series that will close out the 2007 regular season for both teams.
Rob Wooten (3-0) earned the victory after entering in relief of starter Robert Woodard, who allowed all three Maryland runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings. Wooten tossed 2.2 innings of no-hit baseball, allowing just one base runner on a walk. Baron (4-5) was saddled with the loss after the go-ahead run was charged to him in the top of the eighth inning. Andrew Carignan struck out the Maryland ninth in order to pick up his 11th save of the year.
Three Tar Heel batters each recorded a trio of hits, with Tim Federowicz driving in a pair of runs in his 3-for-3 outing. Maryland's offense was led by senior Dan Melvin, junior Chad Durakis, and sophomore Gerry Spessard, who all notched a pair of hits. Durakis reached base in all three at-bats, as he was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning.
Maryland opened a quick one-run lead in the bottom of the first inning, when Spessard singled to left field to bring home Melvin, who had doubled off the wall in center field to reach base.
Two UNC runs in the top of the third inning gave the Tar Heels a 2-1 lead. Benji Johnson led off with a double and scored on Garrett Gore's RBI base hit to center. Gore then scored from third base two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Federowicz.
In the fourth inning, the Terps knotted the game at two, after leadoff man Durakis scored on a RBI groundout by classmate Steve Braun.
North Carolina retook the lead an inning later, when Federowicz notched his second RBI on a single to right field, scoring Gore.
The advantage was short-lived, though, as a bases-loaded walk to freshman AJ Casario brought home Durakis and tied the game at 3-3.
Federowicz again found himself putting the Tar Heels ahead in the eighth, when he singled to right to lead off the frame and scored on a two-out fielding error by Melvin. UNC added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth inning, when two errors by the Terps allowed Reid Fronk and Dustin Ackley to cross the plate.
With his 7.1-inning performance Friday night, Baron moved into a tie for fifth place in Maryland's record book for innings pitched, as the lefthander has tossed 93 innings in his career.
The two teams will meet for a twin bill Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. at Shipley Field, as the Terps look to close out the regular season with their third ACC series victory.
