No. 1 North Carolina Completes Sweep With Sunday?s 7-1 Win Over Duke

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Sunday, April 30

Durham, N.C.

1:00 PM

Duke University

North Carolina

No. 1 North Carolina Completes Sweep With Sunday?s 7-1 Win Over Duke

4/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. ? Catcher Benji Johnson broke a 1-1 tie with a solo home run to left in the top of the fifth and top-ranked North Carolina added five runs in the final two innings to defeat the Duke Blue Devils, 7-1, on Sunday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field. Duke falls to 14-33 overall and 6-18 in the ACC while the Tar Heels improve to 39-8 overall and 18-6 in league play.

North Carolina took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Left fielder Kyle Shelton led off the frame with a double to left field. Two batters later, shortstop Josh Horton laced an RBI-double down the left field line for the first run of the game.

Duke answered in the bottom half of the fourth to tie the game at 1-1. After second baseman Javier Socorro was hit by a pitch, center fielder Jonathan Anderson moved Socorro to second with a sacrifice bunt. First baseman Jonathan Nicolla then lined an RBI-single down the right field line to score Socorro.

Johnson gave the Tar Heels a 2-1 lead in the fifth with a leadoff home run to left. Horton added a solo shot to right center in the top of the eighth to make it a two-run ballgame.

The Tar Heels would then post four runs in the top of the ninth to close out the series with a 7-1 victory.

North Carolina starter Daniel Bard improved to 6-2 on the season, holding the Blue Devils to one run on four hits in 6.0 innings of work.

Duke starter Jimmy Gallagher fell to 1-4 after allowing two runs on three hits in 5.0 innings.

Horton led the Tar Heels at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two RBI while Johnson added a pair of hits in the win.

The Blue Devils will return to the diamond next Sunday for the start of a three-game home series with No. 9 Clemson (33-13, 15-6 ACC).

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