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Virginia Baseball Avoids Sweep With 5-2 Win Over Tar Heels
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April 15, 2001
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –
The University of Virginia baseball team avoided a three-game sweep to North Carolina with a 5-2 win over the Tar Heels Sunday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. With the loss, Carolina falls to 23-18, 5-10 in the ACC, while Virginia improves to 19-20, 6-12 in league play.
For the third straight day, Virginia got on the scoreboard first. But unlike in Carolina’s wins on Friday and Saturday, the Tar Heels were unable to rally past the visiting Cavaliers. UVa used two hits to score two runs in the top half of the third for a 2-0 lead. Jeff Kamrath walked and scored, while Shawn McCleary singled home David Stone for the early advantage.
Virginia tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth for a 4-0 lead. Hunter Wyant singled to lead off the inning and scored on a wild pitch by Autrey. Benick, who reached on an error by UNC shortstop Chad Prosser, also scored in the inning.
Another run in the seventh extended Virginia’s lead to 5-0, before second baseman Chris Maples singled and scored in the eighth for Carolina’s first run. Maples led off the inning with just UNC’s fourth hit of the day and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Russell.
Virginia ace Brandon Creswell held the Tar Heels to just three hits and no runs through the first seven innings before UNC rallied for a pair of runs and three hits over the final two innings. After Maples had cut the Virginia lead to 5-1 in the eighth, Prosser and Russ Adams each singled to start the bottom of the ninth. Jeremy Cleveland drove in Prosser, but that’s all the offense the Heels could muster. Creswell (6-2) went the distance for the Cavaliers in collecting his sixth win of the year. The senior lefty struck out six without issuing a walk in the complete-game victory.
Scott Autrey, who suffered the loss to fall to 1-3, allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out three and walking four over 5.1 innings before being relieved by Daniel Moore with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth. Moore gave up one run on two hits over 2.2 innings, while Jason Howell pitched a scoreless ninth inning out of the bullpen.
Virginia’s 1-2-3 hitters: Stone, McCleary, and Wyant each had two hits and each scored to pace the Cavaliers at the plate.
With the win, the Cavaliers avoided their fourth series sweep in Chapel Hill since 1993. Carolina won all three meetings between the two schools in 1993, 1995 and 1999, and now owns a 155-85-4 all-time mark against UVa.