Late-game offense boosts North Carolina

For seven innings North Carolina’s home game against Princeton on Tuesday was a classic pitcher’s duel.

Then in the eighth inning, UNC’s highest scoring of the season, the Tar Heels brought home nine runs, trampling the Tigers 11-2.
Princeton’s pitcher substitution couldn’t even end UNC’s nine-run streak.

“It’s a great example of how we mesh together,” starting pitcher Cody Stiles said. “It was one guy after another doing his job.”
A gutsy Chaz Frank stole second early in the eighth inning to embolden the Tar Heels.

“The lefty they had on the mound had a very high leg kick and we tried to take advantage of that by going on first move, and as soon as he looked over, I was like, ‘Oh boy, I have to hurry,’” Frank said. “I went as hard as I could toward second and got down and got in safe. It was a big play.”

UNC had only scored a total of nine runs all season in the eighth inning. Using the confidence from Frank’s steal, UNC doubled that.

Frank also shone on defense, sprinting under a foul ball near the left field stands hit by the Tigers’ John Mishu to end the top of the first inning. He kept up the momentum to end the third inning for Princeton by sprawling out for a left field hammer.

“I’m an energetic guy,” Frank said. “I pride myself on going hard every pitch.”

But the entire tilt was not as dazzling. The Tar Heels faltered on defense, committing a season-high three errors in one game.

Second baseman Tommy Coyle fumbled a throw in the second inning, allowing Princeton’s Steve Harrington to reach first base for UNC’s first error since a March 1 game against UNC-Charlotte.

Stiles put a little Tabasco on the ball and allowed just one run in 6 2/3 innings despite the sloppy defense.

“The name of the game is always pitching, and Cody Stiles had two really good back-to-back outings for us,” UNC coach Mike Fox said.

In the second inning with a Tiger on third, Stiles looked to his slider to extinguish Princeton’s hope of making it home.

“My go-to pitch is a slider,” Stiles said. “I’m really comfortable with it, so it’s my fallback.”

UNC clung to just a 2-1 lead until the eighth, with runs coming from a Jesse Wierzbicki home run and a Ben Bunting RBI-single.

Wierzbicki took Princeton pitcher Kevin Link’s fastball gift in the second inning and nailed the ball over the right field wall.

“I was really surprised that ball went out,” Fox said. “I know it was hit well, but I thought it was just going to be a double off the wall.”

Fox and the Tar Heels would have to hold their breath for several innings before the final offensive explosion.

“We’re stringing together hits and putting our best at-bat, and it’s kind of random, but that’s how it turned out,” Coyle said.

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.