March 23, 2007

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Nationally fourth-ranked North Carolina belted four home runs on the way to a 15-4 win over Virginia Tech on Friday in the opening game of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at English Field. The victory improved the Tar Heels' record to 21-3 overall and 5-2 in the ACC, while Tech is now 14-9 on the season and 3-4 in the league with the loss.

The Tar Heels got two of their four home runs in the top of the first inning to grab a quick 3-0 lead. A solo shot by first baseman Dustin Ackley with two outs started the scoring. After catcher Tim Federowicz singled, shortstop Josh Horton smacked his second home run of the season to deep right center.

Tech got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning when third baseman Bryan Thomas (Wilmington, N.C.) homered to left center, but UNC countered with another homer by Ackley - this time with a man aboard - for a 5-1 advantage.

Both teams loaded the bases with nobody out in the third inning, and both came away with a run on a sacrifice fly. Right fielder Tim Fedroff drove in the Tar Heel run, while first baseman Sean O'Brien (Chappaqua, N.Y.) brought home the Hokies' run. Tech got back-to-back singles from freshman left fielder Steve Bumbry (Cockeysville. Md.) and senior catcher Matt Foley (Lansdowne, Va.), followed by a walk to center fielder Nate Parks (Roanoke, Va.) to load the bases.

North Carolina knocked Tech starting pitcher Greg Fryman (2-3) out of the game with three runs in the sixth. The Tar Heels got a two-run single from designated hitter Kyle Seager and a run-scoring single from Federowicz in the inning.

The Hokies had a chance to cut into the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Consecutive singles by designated hitter Adam Redd (Dumfries, Va.), shortstop Warren Schaeffer (Vandergrift, Pa.) and right fielder Jose Cueto (Miami, Fla.) loaded the bases with one out, but Tar Heel starting pitcher Robert Woodard got out of the inning without a run scoring.

Woodard pitched seven strong innings, allowing two runs on eight hits. He struck out seven and walked just one to improve his record to 5-0.

The Tar Heels manufactured a run in the seventh when left fielder Reid Fronk singled, took second on a fly out, stole third and came in on a sac fly by Federowicz. Tech then picked up two runs on a triple by Bumbry in the eighth, before UNC pinch-hitter Bryan Steed hit a grand slam to cap a five-run ninth inning for the visitors.

North Carolina finished with 19 hits in the game, including four by Ackley and three from both Federowicz and Seager. The Hokies had 11 hits, with Bumbry, Redd and Cueto contributing two apiece.

The Hokies and Tar Heels are scheduled to play game two of their three-game series on Saturday afternoon at 2.