Tar Heels Top Stanford 5-2 In NCAA Super Regionals
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- Patrick Johnson pitched into the eighth inning and Seth Baldwin hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning Friday to help North Carolina beat Stanford 5-2 in the NCAA super regionals.
Johnson allowed five hits while striking out seven in 7 2-3 innings for the Tar Heels (49-14), who spent much of the opener of the best-of-3 series protecting a one-run lead. Ben Bunting gave North Carolina that 1-0 margin with an RBI single in the second, then watched as Johnson frustrated Cardinal batters until Baldwin's blast finally gave the Tar Heels some breathing room.
Stanford (35-21) got a two-run infield hit from Brian Ragira to close to within one, but the Tar Heels answered with two more runs to stay in control.
North Carolina, the No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, can reach the College World Series for the fifth time in six seasons by winning Saturday's Game 2.
Johnson entered Friday with a scoreless streak of 23 innings and hadn't allowed a run in nearly a month. He left the game after Tyler Gaffney's infield hit, handing the ball to reliever Michael Morin and heading to the dugout to a standing ovation from the blue-clad crowd at Boshamer Stadium.
But Morin quickly surrendered a double to left from Stephen Piscotty, then Ragira managed a soft hit up the middle that shortstop Levi Michael tried to grab barehanded. The ball rolled away from him, allowing Gaffney and Piscotty to score and snap Johnson's scoreless streak.
Still, it was a strong follow-up performance for Johnson (13-1) from last weekend, when he allowed three hits and struck out 11 in eight shutout innings against James Madison. He hadn't given up a run since allowing two in a win at Georgia Tech on May 13, a run that included six innings of no-hit ball against Wake Forest before a rain delay in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.
His teammates ensured that the win wouldn't slip away from him. Baldwin drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth, then Chaz Frank added an RBI sacrifice fly to center that scored Bunting to push the lead to 5-2.
Stanford's Mark Appel (6-7) held the Tar Heels to six hits and one run through the first six innings before walking Brian Holberton to lead off the seventh. Baldwin came on and fouled the first two pitches to the left side as he tried to bunt.
But after taking a ball, Baldwin blasted Appel's pitch over the left-field wall to finally give Johnson and the Tar Heels a needed cushion.
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