March 25, 2009
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -
First baseman Ryan Rivers connected on a pair of solo home runs to lift Charlotte past No. 5 North Carolina, 2-1, Wednesday at Boshamer Stadium. Tarron Robinson provided the lone offense for the Tar Heels (18-5) with his first career home run.
Charlotte starter Patrick Lawson (2-1) fanned seven over 5 1/3 innings and held UNC to just one run on three hits and a walk. He faced the minimum through five, and Sam Pierce held the Tar Heels hitless over the final three fames to earn his third save for the 49ers (14-6).
Rivers homered in the second and fourth innings, and Alan Parks added a doubled and a single to pace Charlotte at the plate.
In his first career start, Carolina right-hander Ryan Leach (0-1) allowed one run on three hits and a walk over two-plus innings. The Tar Heels staff allowed just six hits on the afternoon, as Brian Moran, Patrick Johnson and Colin Bates posted solid relief outings.
UNC's three hits were a season low. Kyle Seager singled in the second to extend his season-best hitting streak to 13 games, and Garrett Gore singled in the fifth for the only hits in addition to Robinson's sixth-inning homer.
Rivers gave Charlotte the lead in the second with the first of two solo home runs to left off Leach.
The 49ers threatened again in the third when an error and a single put two on with no one out, but Moran came on to strike out Charlotte's No. 2, 3 and 4 hitters to strand both runners and preserve the one-run deficit.
Rivers struck again in the fourth with his second solo shot to left - this one off Johnson - for a 2-0 Charlotte lead.
Robinson cut the lead in half for the Tar Heels with a pinch-hit, leadoff home run in the sixth off Lawson. The Chapel Hill native sent a 3-2 pitch down the right field line for his first career homer. The Tar Heels went on to load the bases in the inning, but reliever Jason Cunningham got Seager to ground to first to end the threat.
Other than a ninth-inning walk to Dustin Ackley, Carolina went in order the rest of the way.
The Tar Heels return to conference action this weekend for a three-game set with No. 8 Virginia beginning Friday at Boshamer Stadium.
