Feb. 18, 2005

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Sophomore designated hitter Matt Ellington hit two of North Carolina's four home runs, and the pitching staff tossed its second consecutive shutout to lead the Tar Heels (2-0) to a 17-0 win over Seton Hall (0-1) in the opening tilt of a three-game series Friday at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels, who beat Appalachian State 5-0 Wednesday, opened with back-to-back shutouts for the first time since the 1915 season.

Carolina outhit the Pirates 21-2, as 13 different Tar Heels hit safely in the game. Five players, including Ellington, who was 3-for-5 with a career-best five runs batted in, had multi-hit days. Ellington hit a three-run shot in the second and followed with a solo homer in the sixth for his first career multi-homer game. He also added an RBI single in the third.

Senior Chase Younts and sophomore Jay Cox also homered for the Tar Heels. Cox went 3-for-4, tied a career-high with three RBI and scored three runs. Senior catcher Justin Webb also had three hits to tie a career best. He also scored three runs and drove in one. Second second baseman Greg Mangum went 2-for-3 and tied a career best with three runs scored.

Sophomore preseason All-America Daniel Bard (1-0) made the start for Carolina and picked up the win on a staff day with eight strikeouts, which tied a career best, over just four innings. He gave up two hits and walked two. Redshirt freshman Rob Wooten came on in the fifth and worked three hitless innings in his first collegiate appearance. Freshman Andrew Carignan worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and pitched the final 1.2 innings of the shutout.

Webb opened the scoring for the Tar Heels with a double down the left field line to score Mangum, who led off the game with a walk. Cox followed with a two-run shot to left to put Carolina up 3-0 after one.

The Tar Heels picked up where they left off in the second, thanks to the solo homer by Younts and three-run shot by Ellington. Following Younts' sixth career home run, Webb and Cox reached on infield singles before Ellington homered to right field for an 8-0 Tar Heel advantage. Freshman Reid Fronk drove in the final run of the frame with a single to left that scored UNC left fielder Mike Daniel, who reached on an error by the SHU center fielder.

Carolina tacked on three more in the third thanks to an RBI single by Ellington, a run-scoring groundout by first baseman Chad Flack and a sacrifice fly by Daniel. Two Pirate errors in the third contributed to the Tar Heel scoring rally. Cox followed in the fourth with an RBI single up the middle, which scored Mangum, who doubled for his second hit of the afternoon.

The Tar Heels cleared the bench in the fifth with seven pinch hitters. Junior Blair Waggett plated two runs with a triple to left center, and sophomore Bryan Steed followed with a single to center to score Waggett and push the lead to 16-0

Ellington added the final run to the Tar Heel total with his solo homer in the bottom of the sixth.

Carolina freshmen Flack, Benji Johnson, Seth Williams and Josh Horton all had their first collegiate hits. Horton was 2-for-3 off the bench Friday. In all, sixteen Tar Heel position players saw action Friday.

Seton Hall starter Tim Sabo (0-1) took the loss, allowing 12 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits over two innings.

The series is scheduled to resume at 3 p.m. Saturday with the finale set for Noon Sunday. This time was moved up from the original 1:30 p.m. start due to the threat of inclement weather. Junior Adam Kalkhof will start for the Tar Heels Saturday.