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March 18, 2007

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The No. 7 Virginia baseball team fell to No. 1 North Carolina 9-4 in the final game of a three-game series Sunday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. The Cavaliers took the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader to clinch their first series win in Chapel Hill since 2003.

“Overall, it was a very successful weekend,” head coach Brian O’Connor said. “North Carolina is an outstanding ball club and we knew we had to play our best to beat them. In the first two games of the series we played great baseball. Anytime you can take two of three games on the road against a great opponent, you are pleased. We look forward to opening up our home ACC season next weekend against Miami.”

In the nightcap of Sunday’s doubleheader, Virginia was led offensively by Greg Miclat (Concord, N.C.), Patrick Wingfield (Winchester, Va.), and Tyler Cannon (Pigeon Forge, Tenn.), who each went 2-for-4. For Miclat, his hits extended his career long hitting streak to 13 games.

Matt Packer (Germantown, Tenn.) took the loss for Virginia, falling to 2-1 on the season. He allowed seven runs (four earned) on nine hits in four-plus innings of work. Fellow freshman Jeff Lorick (Duluth, Ga.) came in and pitched 2.1 shutout innings of relief.

For the third straight game in the series, Virginia jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first. Brandon Marsh (Alpharetta, Ga.) reached on a one-out single that was followed by Sean Doolittle (Tabernacle, N.J.) being hit by a pitch. With two outs, Brandon Guyer’s (Herndon, Va.) single to right-center drove in Marsh to give Virginia a 1-0 lead.

North Carolina took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the second. Dustin Ackley reached on an error to lead off the inning. Seth Williams reached on a fielder’s choice before Benji Johnson singled. Tim Fedroff’s single drove in Williams to tie the game. Garrett Gore’s RBI groundout brought in Johnson to give the Tar Heels the lead. Reid Fronk followed with an RBI single to drive in Fedroff.

The Cavaliers cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth. Wingfield hit a double down the right field line with one out to extend his career-best hitting streak to 10 games. With two outs, Tim Henry (Fairfield, Conn.) doubled down the left field line to score Wingfield.

North Carolina pushed the lead to 4-2 with a run in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Johnson and Fedroff hit back-to-back singles. Later in the inning, Johnson scored on a two-out RBI single by Fronk.

The Tar Heels added to their lead again in the fifth inning with five runs to make the score 9-2. Josh Horton led off with a walk and Tim Federowicz followed with a single. Ackley’s single up the middle drove in Horton. A one-out walk to Johnson loaded the bases before a two-out walk to Gore forced in a run. Fronk followed with a single to right-center that scored two more runs. A wild pitch then allowed Gore to score from third.

Virginia cut into the advantage with a two out rally in the top of the sixth that scored two runs. Cannon beat out a chopper to third for an infield hit. Henry followed with a walk and Miclat reached on a bunt single that hugged the third base line but never rolled foul. Marsh’s single to center drove in two, making the score 9-4.

The Cavaliers conclude their four-game road stretch on Tuesday as they visit Richmond. First pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m.

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