Baseball: UNC bats lead three-game sweep of VMI

Dustin Ackley obviously likes the new Boshamer Stadium.

The junior first baseman racked up a career-best five hits Sunday as No. 2 North Carolina (3-0) completed its season-opening sweep of VMI(0-3)" 11-3.

""It feels pretty good" Ackley said. I've had a couple occasions where I had a chance to get it and I never got it" but it feels good to get it.

""And it helped the team out"" so I definitely enjoyed it a little bit.""

Ackley laced hits through the infield; he hit one off the wall — he even beat out a slow-rolling ground ball that went straight to first base.

""He's a hitting machine" coach Mike Fox said. (But) you have to have a little bit of luck as well as being really good" to have five hits in a game.""

While Ackley's record was the exclamation point in an otherwise-forgettable series" his teammates took a liking to their new ballpark as well.

For the weekend" Tar Heel batters racked up 41 hits in three games — for an average of 13.7 hits per game.

Ackley voiced that Boshamer compared favorably against the Tar Heels' former home in Cary last season.

""I like it a lot"" Ackley said. I hit a ball today off the left field wall that probably would have been caught in Cary.""

Designated hitter Mark Fleury also had plenty of reason to be excited about UNC's new stadium. Of the five times he stepped to the plate Sunday" four times he had multiple runners on base — twice he even had the bases loaded.

Fleury brought in a team-high three RBI on the day and on the weekend brought in six.

Though the first-time starter is mainly the beneficiary of the middle of UNC's lineup as Ackley" Kyle Seager and Garrett Gore reached base a combined 12 times Sunday.

""When those guys are getting on" it just makes it a whole lot easier Fleury said.

The pitcher has to concentrate on them so he's not really concentrating on me. And just getting behind them is making me look good" really.""

Also making his debut for the year was sophomore pitcher Matt Harvey. A year after going 7-2" Harvey started off his season a bit rocky giving up a three-run homer in the first inning.

After that inning Harvey mowed down VMI's lineup for the rest of his outing. Of the next 13 batters" Harvey struck out 10.

""After that I kind of made myself settle in a little more" Harvey said. I was a little angry and that helped" too.""

For the day"" Harvey pitched five innings with 11 strikeouts on 19 batters faced.

""Matt's a special talent. After that first inning" he faced 13 batters and struck out 10 of them and he hit one of them" Fleury said. So he's an unbelievable talent.""

For the weekend" UNC pitchers registered 44 strikeouts including 26 by the starting pitchers.



Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.