UNC loses series to FSU
UNC vs FSU (GoogleSearch)
Let’s get back to checking up on what is going on with the Diamond Heels. Last weekend 17th ranked North Carolina (15-6 & 2-4 in the ACC) hosted 4th ranked Florida State (15-4 & 3-3 in the ACC) for a three game series at Boshamer. Carolina lost the series 2 to 1, dropping the first and third game by the finals of 4 to 3 and 5 to 3 and winning the middle one 10 to 4. And once again what has to worry head coach Mike Fox is that his club left 27 men on the base paths in these three games (10 in the first and second game and 7 in the last one). This to me is becoming a repeating pattern that has to stop if the Heels want to get back to the College World Series in 2010. The other thing that might be worrysome is that in both losses the Heels lost their lead late in the game. Maybe the only bright side of last weekend’s game is the fact that Sunday match up was played in front of a crowd of 2,651. (While I am just going to give you some tid bits you can get the complete run down at TarHeelBlue).
In game one UNC was winning 3-0 going into the top of the eight and then FSU scored two runs in both the eighth and ninth to win the game. In all the batters just had seven hits, with junior 1B/C Jesse Wierzbicki being the only one with multiple hits (2) and RBIs (2). On the mound Junior righty Matt Harvey went seven innings, allowing no runs on 2 hits and four walks while striking out 11. Unfortunately the pitchers behind him didn’t do the rest and down went Carolina. The 3-5 batters went 4 for 13 in this one, driving in 2 and scoring 2.
In the second game of the series UNC won 10-4 but only had nine hits, with again Wierzbicki being the only one with multiple hits (2) and one of three Heels with multiple RBIs (3), the others being RS senior outfielder Mike Cavasini (2) and sophomore utility player Jacob Stallings (2). The Heels did manage seven walks in this one and only struck out five times. However the meat of the order, 3 to 5, that had been hitting hard in the past only went 3 for 10 (3 RBIs by Wierzbicki).
The last game it was more of the same, with the Diamond Heels going 4 for 29 as a squad, 0 for 9 in the meat of the order. Only bright point as far as batting was concerned was Junior infielder Dillon Hazlett (a JUCO transfer) who had two hits and three RBIs in this one. In this game as well the starting pitcher didn’t give the game up, as junior righty Patrick Johnson went five innings, giving up a run (earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out six. But just like in the first game it was the closers that could just not finish the game up.
Today North Carolina will take on UNC-Greensboro on the road in a one game series with the first pitch set for 6:00 p.m. EST. The Heels will then return to ACC action this weekend with a three game set at Boshamer Stadium against Georgia Tech. Game times are: Fri at 7:00 p.m., Sat at 6:00 p.m. and Sun at 1:00 p.m..
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