March 14, 2004

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, NC - After not scoring a run in the first two games, the California baseball team exploded for 12 runs in a 12-4 victory at North Carolina Sunday at Boshamer Stadium. The Golden Bears snapped a three-game losing streak and improved their record to 11-14. The Tar Heels, who had won eight games in a row and had captured 12-straight home contests, fell to 12-4. North Carolina had won the first two games of the series, 1-0 and 4-0.

Holding a 6-4 lead entering the eighth inning, Cal scored five runs off the North Carolina bullpen to put the game away. Junior left fielder Justin Nelson hit a three-run homer to open the scoring, and sophomore first baseman Allen Craig followed with a two-run single. Senior center fielder David Weiner went 4-for-5, and junior third baseman David Nicholson and freshman catcher Garrett Bussiere each had three hits to lead the Bears at the plate. Nelson drove in a game-high four runs.

The winning pitcher for the Bears was senior reliever Matt Brown (3-1), who entered in the fourth inning for starter Kyle Crist and pitched 4.7 innings with only one hit, no runs, three walks and four strikeouts. The losing pitcher for the Tar Heels was starter Andrew Miller (2-1, 5.0 innings, seven hits, four earned runs, one walk, five strikeouts).

After North Carolina left fielder Jay Cox robbed Craig of a home run to open the third inning, Cal went on to score its first runs of the series and take a 4-0 lead. A pair of Tar Heel errors and a hit batter contributed to the rally, but Bussiere and freshman second baseman Brett Munster came through with RBI singles in the frame.

Down 4-0 entering the third, North Carolina scored two runs in both the third and fourth innings to tie the score. The Bears reclaimed the lead in the sixth when Nicholson roped a RBI double to left that scored senior shortstop Jeff Dragicevich, who walked to start the inning. Cal added a run in the seventh on a run-scoring double down the right field line by Nelson that pushed the advantage to 6-4. The Bears tacked on its final run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Munster.

Cal will next host Pacific, Tuesday, Mar. 16 at 2 p.m. at Evans Diamond. The Bears will then start Pac-10 play with a three-game series at Arizona State, beginning Friday, Mar. 19 at 7 p.m. at Packard Stadium in Tempe.

Home runs:

Cal: Justin Nelson, three-run homer in the third inning.

North Carolina: Chris Iannetta, two-run homer in the third inning.