April 19, 2008

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CARY, N.C. - Junior right-hander Adam Warren tossed seven innings of three-hit ball, and fourth-ranked North Carolina broke open a scoreless game with four runs in the sixth to claim a 6-0 win over Boston College Saturday at Cary's USA Baseball National Training Complex. The Tar Heels (33-7, 15-4 ACC) extended their current winning streak to a season-best eight games with their sixth shutout of the season.

Saturday's win also gives Carolina a 33-7 record at the 40-game mark to equal the 1990 squad for the best start in school history. BC drops to 19-20 and 5-15 in the ACC with the loss.

Warren improved to 6-0 on the season and 19-0 as a Tar Heel with the win. The New Bern product did issue a career-high five walks over the first three innings and hit two batters, but allowed just three singles and picked up big outs when needed. In a key spot in the third, he got Mickey Wiswall with one of his six strikeouts to leave the bases loaded and preserve the scoreless tie.

Relievers Colin Bates and Tyler Trice each worked a scoreless inning to close the shutout, and left fielder Kyle Shelton and shortstop Garrett Gore each had two hits and two RBI to pace Carolina at the plate.

BC starter Dan Houston (2-2) held the Tar Heels to just two hits over his first five innings but was tagged for all four runs in Carolina's big inning. He allowed four runs on five hits and four walks over six innings and struck out three.

The Carolina defense aided Warren's cause with a pair of double plays over the first four innings to help keep the game scoreless until the four-run sixth. The Tar Heels also loaded the bases in the fifth with no one out, but Houston was able to wriggle off the hook and keep UNC off the board until it grabbed its first lead an inning later.

Carolina loaded the bases with one out in the sixth and finally broke through with a pair of timely hits to grab a 4-0 lead. With the bases full, Houston uncorked a wild pitch to score the first run, and Gore followed with a single up the middle on the very next offering to drive in two more. Gore then took second on a Dustin Ackley groundout and scored on a double to left by Shelton to close the four-run rally.

Shelton provided some insurance in the eighth with his second straight run-scoring hit. One-out singles by Gore and Ackley put two on for Shelton, who served a single into left to score Gore, who was running from second on the play. A throwing error by BC third baseman Eric Campbell on a grounder by Flack scored Ackley and gave the Tar Heels a six-run cushion heading into the ninth.

UNC will look for their second straight Atlantic Coast Conference sweep when they host Boston College at noon Sunday.