No. 13 North Carolina scored five times in the sixth inning to break open a scoreless game on its way to a 6-0 win over the No. 1-ranked Virginia baseball team Thursday night at Boshamer Stadium. UVa (45-7, 22-6 ACC) was shut out for the first time this season and the first time in the regular season since April 27, 2008 at Miami (167 regular-season games).
UNC starter Patrick Johnson (10-1) dominated the Cavaliers, allowing just four singles and no walks in a complete-game effort. He retired the final 15 batters and finished with nine strikeouts.
Cody Winiarski (Sr., Franksville, Wis.) started the game for Virginia and worked 5.1 innings, allowing three earned runs, six hits and three walks while striking out one. He took the loss and fell to 6-3.
John Barr (Sr., Ivyland, Pa.) had two of the Cavaliers’ four hits.
After 5 ½ scoreless innings, North Carolina (42-12, 18-10) broke the deadlock in the sixth inning with five runs – four with two outs. Chaz Frank drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on a Levi Michael single to right-center. Colin Moran then lined out to center, with Frank scoring just ahead of the tag. Jesse Wierzbicki singled to spell the end of the night for Winiarski.
Kyle Crockett (Fr., Poquoson, Va.) entered the game and retired Ben Bunting on a sacrifice bunt, then intentionally walked Jacob Stallings to load the bases. Tommy Coyle came through with the key hit, a high infield chopper which third baseman Steven Proscia (Jr., Suffern, N.Y.) could not quite reach. On the do-or-die play, the ball rolled away toward the outfield, allowing Wierzbicki to also score for a 2-run single. Pinch hitter Greg Holt followed with an RBI single. On the next play, he got stuck in a rundown, and Coyle scored from third before the tag was made on Holt.
UNC added a run in the eighth on a solo home run by Stallings off UVa reliever Scott Silverstein (Jr., Brookeville, Md.).
Game two of the series is set for 7 p.m. Friday, followed by the finale at 2 p.m. Saturday.
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