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Virginia Baseball Falls To UNC, 10-6
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April 13, 2001
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Freshman righty Dennis Robinson struck out a career-high 13 batters over 8.0 innings as the University of North Carolina baseball team broke open a 3-2 game with a six-run seventh inning to take a 10-6 win over Virginia in Friday’s series opener between the two schools at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels improve to 22-17, 4-9 in the ACC with the win, while the Cavaliers fall to 18-19 overall, 5-11 in conference play.
After allowing two hits and one run in the top of the first, Robinson settled down and put together the finest pitching performance by a Tar Heel this year, surrendering four runs, two of them unearned, on five hits while walking just one. Robinson’s 13 K’s and 8.0 innings were season highs for the Carolina pitching staff. Robinson struck out two batters in the third, fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings before Whitley Benson came in to pitch the ninth.
Virginia took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Dan Street singled home David Stone, who had led off the game with a double.
The Tar Heels got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth with three runs to jump ahead 3-1. After loading the bases with one out, Adam Greenberg’s two-run double and Chad Prosser’s sacrifice fly to center gave Carolina the two-run lead.
The Cavs scored an unearned run in the sixth to cut the margin to 3-2, but UNC blew the game open in the seventh. Carolina, which had been held to just five hits through the first six innings, got to Virginia starter Joseph Koshansky in the bottom of the inning and faced relievers Mark Hurrie and Christopher Gale before the inning was done. Twelve different Tar Heels came to bat in the inning, with Greenberg, Russ Adams, Ralph Roberts, Chris Maples and Ron Braun all driving in runs.
Virginia rallied for four runs in the final two innings before the Tar Heels prevailed. Hunter Wyant had a two-run homer in the eighth and Jon Benick had a two-run shot in the ninth to provide Virginia’s final scoring.
Eight of nine UNC starters got at least one hit in the game, with Adams, Maples and Braun leading the way with two hits apiece. Greenberg knocked in a team-high three runs.
Koshansky allowed eight runs on eight hits in his 6.1 innings and dropped to 3-4 with the loss.
The Tar Heels and Cavaliers continue their series Saturday at 7 p.m., with Sunday’s series-finale slated to start at 1:30 p.m.