April 15, 2008

Box Score

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Right fielder Tim Fedroff hit for the cycle and drove in three runs, and utility man Kyle Shelton tallied a career-best four RBI in a 14-3 win for No. 4 North Carolina over UNC Greensboro Tuesday at UNCG Baseball Stadium. Both Fedroff and Shelton homered as the Tar Heels (30-7) matched a season high with eight extra-base hits against the Spartans (22-13).

Fedroff, who was 4-for-4 with two walks and three runs scored to go along with the three RBI, tripled in the first, doubled in the second and belted a two-run homer in the five-run fourth inning. After a sixth-inning walk, the Flagtown, N.J., product beat out an infield single in the eighth to complete the cycle.

Shelton, who played left field, first base and third base on the night, was 3-for-6 with two runs scored to push his career-best hitting streak to eight games. The Charlotte native needed just three at-bats to establish his career high in RBI. He jump-started the Tar Heel offense with a two-run home run in the first and followed with an RBI single in the second and a run-scoring double in the fourth. The home run was just the second of his career and first since March 17, 2006, against Maryland.

In addition to the seven combined hits for Fedroff and Shelton, Dustin Ackley, Garrett Gore and Brett Thomas each added two of Carolina's 17 hits on the night. Second baseman Kyle Seager drove in two runs to become the first player in the ACC to reach the 50-RBI mark on the season.

UNC freshman right-hander Patrick Johnson (4-1) held the Spartans to just two hits over five innings but issued six walks - the most by a Tar Heel this season - and allowed three runs. Classmates Bryant Gaines, Logan Munson and Nate Striz combined to allow just three hits over four shutout innings out of the bullpen.

The Tar Heels struck quickly in the first, needing to see just 11 pitches from Alex Shelton (3-3) to grab a 3-0 lead. After a leadoff single by Ackley, Kyle Shelton belted a first-pitch homer off the scoreboard in right. Fedroff followed on the next pitch with a triple just inside the first base bag and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field from third baseman Chad Flack.

Shelton and Fedroff struck again in the second with back-to-back RBI base hits. Singles from Gore and designated hitter Greg Holt put runners on the corners for Shelton, who went the other way to right on an 0-2 pitch to drive in Gore. Fedroff then doubled to right center to plate Holt to give Johnson and the Tar Heels a five-run cushion.

UNCG got back in the game in the bottom of the inning with three runs off Johnson. Two walks and a single loaded the bases for catcher Adam Deleo, who singled up the middle to drive in the first run for the Spartans. Third baseman Ray Quinones and center fielder Corey Overholtzer followed with consecutive sacrifice flies to center field to trim the Tar Heel lead to 5-3.

The Tar Heels broke things open with a five-run fourth, highlighted by the two-run homer from Fedroff. After consecutive doubles from Ackley and Shelton opened the scoring, Fedroff hammered a 2-1 pitch from Wes McCall out to right for his team-best eighth home run. Flack then scored on a throwing error Deleo on a double steal attempt before Gore tripled to right center to score the 10th run of the night for the Tar Heels.

Carolina put four more on the board in the eighth. After back-to-back singles to open the inning, Seager roped a triple to right center to score two. An RBI fielder's choice from Mark Fleury and a wild pitch led to the final two runs of the frame for the 11-run margin.

The Tar Heels are back in action Wednesday against Charlotte at 6 p.m. at Cary's USA Baseball National Training Complex.