Quick Advantage Helps Seahawks Defeat UNC

Less than an hour later, the Tar Heels were probably wishing the tarp still covered the infield of Boshamer Stadium. The Seahawks won 11-5.

From the start, the Seahawks continued right-hander Dennis Robinson's starting woes -- they torched him for three runs on two hits. He didn't come back.

"We have had trouble starting games," UNC coach Mike Fox said. "When you're at home, it sometimes starts with pitching. I really thought the key to the game was the first three hitters.

"I mean, before we really even got settled in the dugout, it's walk, hit, error and they've got the bases loaded."

Robinson's last start was even more of a disaster. Friday, he lasted 2/3 of an inning and gave up six runs on five hits.

But Robinson wasn't the only Tar Heel to make a quick appearance.

Bo Dickerson started the second inning and promptly gave up a leadoff single to Russ Simmerman. Two more hits and two runs later, the Seahawks had a 5-0 lead, and Dickerson was done.

As the night wore on, things improved for the Tar Heels -- somewhat. Michael Gross hurled 4 1/3 innings in relief and gave up only one hit.

"We used a lot of guys over the weekend, so we didn't have a lot of guys available today," Fox said. "He's pitched pretty well for us. Michael loves to pitch, and he's got a little bit of that cockiness, that swagger to him, that I like."

At bat, the Tar Heels had a strange night. Third baseman Chris Maples popped a pitch straight up in the air in the bottom of the third. UNC-W catcher Magnus Pilegard misjudged the ball and it dropped in fair territory.

Maples was only a few steps from second by the time the ball hit the ground, and with third base unprotected, Maples legged his hit into a triple.

But the umpire called it back, to the dismay of Fox and Boschamer fans.

A Tar Heel rally was quashed later when the umpires called a baserunner out for batter's interference. And to top it all off, UNC designated hitter Jason Howell hit his first home run -- inside the park.

Seahawk Kevin Hairr dove for Howell's hit to short center but badly missed and didn't even touch the ball, which rolled all the way to the fence. By the time the outfielder got to the ball, Howell was rounding third, and a bad throw allowed him to slide in safely.

UNC plays tonight at 7 p.m. against UNC-Greensboro at Boshamer Stadium.

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.