|
Chapel Hill, NC -
Righthanders Benton Moss and Trent Thornton
combined to allow just six hits, two unearned runs, and one walk with 13
strikeouts to lead #1 North Carolina to a 6-2 win over Clemson at Boshamer
Stadium in a game that started Sunday and ended Monday due to inclement weather. The Tar Heels, who took a 2-0 series lead,
improved to 25-1 overall and 9-1 in the ACC.
The Tigers dropped to 16-11 overall and 5-6 in ACC play.
Thornton (6-0) pitched the final 6.1
innings to earn the win. He gave up six
hits, two unearned runs, and no walks with seven strikeouts. Starter Benton Moss pitched 2.2 hitless and
scoreless innings with six strikeouts on Sunday night before the game was
postponed.
Tiger starter Clate Schmidt (2-1) suffered the
loss, as he yielded five hits, two runs, and one walk in 2.0 innings
pitched. Zack Erwin pitched the final
6.0 innings and surrendered six hits, four runs (three earned) and two walks
with one strikeout.
Brian Holberton led off the second inning
with a single to right field, stole second, and advanced to third on Mike
Zolk's single to left field. Holberton
scored on Matt Roberts' safety squeeze bunt.
Two batters later, Landon Lassiter grounded a two-out double over the
third-base bag to score Zolk.
With two outs in the top of the third inning,
rain arrived and play was suspended until Monday.
In the fifth inning, leadoff batter Jon
McGibbon reached on a throwing error by Zolk at second. Shane Kennedy followed with an infield single to
third on an 0-2 pitch, then McGibbon was erased at third on Thomas Brittle's
bunt. Jay Baum followed with a potential
inning-ending, double-play grounder to short.
After the out was made at second, Brittle's hard slide forced Zolk's errant
throw to first, allowing Kennedy to score.
After the Tigers left the bases loaded
without scoring a run in the top of the sixth inning, the Tar Heels added to
their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Michael Russell ripped a one-out, infield single to third and advanced
to third on an error on a failed pickoff attempt. Holberton was picked off first and stayed in
a rundown as Russell scored ahead of the throw home.
In the seventh inning, Lassiter lined a
one-out single to right-center and Colin Moran was hit-by-pitch. Moran was erased on Skye Bolt's fielder's
choice, then Bolt stole second. Cody
Stubbs came through with a two-out single up the middle to score Lassiter and Bolt,
giving the Tar Heels a 5-1 lead.
Steven Duggar lined a one-out single to
left-center and moved to second on the play on an error in the top of the
eighth inning. Two batters later,
Garrett Boulware reached on an infield single to score Duggar.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Zolk
drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on Roberts' sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Lassiter laced a two-out
single through the left side to score Zolk.
Lassiter led North Carolina's 11-hit attack
by going 4-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.
Russell totaled two hits, while Stubbs added two RBIs.
Boulware and Kennedy both went 2-for-4 to
lead Clemson, who amassed six hits in the contest.
Clemson and North Carolina will play
game-three of the three-game series on Monday at 6:00 PM. The game will be televised by ESPNU.
|
