ECU saturday baseball

By Steve Roush
Published in Sports on April 22, 2007 2:01 AM

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. --Jack Rye's two-run home run in the fifth inning proved to be the difference for No. 1 Florida State in a 5-4 win over No. 2 North Carolina Saturday at Dick Howser Stadium. Trailing 5-0 after five, the Tar Heels (32-9, 13-7 ACC) rallied for four runs in the sixth but went in order the rest of the way to drop their sixth straight series at FSU, where they are just 1-16 since winning a three-game set in 1995.

In addition to his fifth inning homer, Rye also added a sacrifice fly in the third for a game-high three RBIs.

Shortstop Mark Hallberg had two hits, and second baseman Tony Thomas, Jr. doubled and scored two runs for the Seminoles (37-5, 15-2 ACC). Left fielder Ohmed Danesh also added a solo home run in the fourth.

FSU righty Jimmy Marshall (2-0) picked up the win with 12/3 hitless innings of relief, while closer Danny Rosen earned his second straight save and seventh of the year with two shutout innings.

Losers of four of five games for the first time since the end of the 2005 season, Carolina had just five hits on the day and has only 11 hits over the first two games of the series. No Tar Heel had more than one hit on the day, and leading hitter Dustin Ackley was held hitless for just the fourth time all season.

Freshman right-hander Alex White (4-3) suffered his second straight loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on just four hits and three walks over 42/3 innings.

Trailing 5-0 and with only one hit in the game entering the sixth, the Tar Heels put up four runs on four hits to trim the lead to just one. After shortstop Josh Horton drew a leadoff walked and was balked to second, catcher Tim Federowicz singled up the middle to put UNC on the board. Pinch hitter Mike Cavasinni then singled through the left side to put runners on the corners, and center fielder Seth Williams followed with a double down the left field line to plate Federowicz.

A sacrifice fly to left by left fielder Reid Fronk scored Cavasinni to cut the lead to two, and third baseman Chad Flack brought the Tar Heels within a single run with a double down the left field line.

But the Seminole bullpen took over from there, retiring 10 straight batters to end the game. Travis Burge was perfect in the seventh, and Rosen set down all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth innings.

Duke 11, Maryland 1

DURHAM -- Tony Bajoczky struck out seven and walked one Saturday as he led Duke to an 11-1 win over Maryland.

Bajoczky pitched his second career complete game for the Blue Devils (24-17, 5-15 ACC) and held the Terrapins (23-19, 7-13) to eight hits.

Duke took its lead in the first inning with two RBI and a two-run double and led unchallenged until the sixth inning when Gerry Spessard hit a home run to bring the score to 8-1.

Maryland starter Ryan Moorer allowed seven runs on six hits in three innings.

East Carolina 6,

Savannah State 1

GREENVILLE -- Kyle Roller smacked his fourth home run in four games and T.J. Hose allowed one run over seven innings as East Carolina won its sixth straight game 6-1 over Savannah State on Saturday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

Hose picked up his fifth win of the season for the Pirates (27-12) after allowing one run (earned) on four hits with two walks and six punch-outs. Reliever Jason Neitz made his 21st appearance in the eighth retiring the side with two strikeouts and Bailey Daniels was perfect as well in the ninth.

Mark Sherrod dropped to 7-3 on the season after allowing four runs (all earned) on six hits in 5 1/3 innings of work. Sherrod struck out one and walked nine before giving way to James Mock in the sixth. Mock allowed two runs in 2 2/3 innings for the Tigers (26-19) with three walks and one strikeout.

For the second straight game, ECU wasted little time in getting on the board as they took and early 1-0 lead over the Tigers in the bottom of the first. Dale Mollenhauer scored the games first run when Kyle Roller drew a one-out bases loaded walk.

Roller, who was 1-for-2 with three walks, continued his hot hitting cranking a solo shot to right field, putting ECU up 2-0.

The Tigers answered ECU's run with one of their own in the top of the sixth when Antonio Richmond hit a deep fly ball to left center that scored Timothy Waine to cut into the Pirates lead, 2-1. Waine roped a one-out triple to right-center setting up the scoring play.

ECU plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 4-1 lead. Stephen Batts drove in the first run with his single up the middle that scored Broc Sutton from third. Ryan Wood was credited with an RBI the hard way after being plunked in the head by a Mock fast ball with the bases loaded.

David Forbes extended the Pirates lead to 5-1 with a ground out RBI to second in the seventh that scored Jamie Ray. Sutton pushed the lead to five when he crossed home on a Mock wild pitch.

Offensively the Pirates collected eight hits with Mollenhauer leading the way with two. ECU drew 12 free passes in the contest, a season-high.

The two teams will play the final game of the three-game series today at 1 p.m.

From AP reports, college releases