May 27, 2007

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Wake Forest's Cinderella run in the ACC Tournament came to an end on Sunday. Second-seeded North Carolina edged the eighth-seeded Demon Deacons 3-2 to claim the 2007 ACC Championship at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

The No. 4-ranked Tar Heels broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the top of the eighth to pull out the victory. The Deacons were aiming for their first ACC title since 2001, the last time Wake played in the championship game.

Wake Forest advanced to Sunday's title game with a 2-1 mark in Division `A' pool play. The Deacs became just the second eight seed to advance to the championship and were trying to become the lowest seed to ever take home the title.

Wake Forest falls to 33-27 overall with the loss. The Deacs will now await word on their NCAA Tournament fate. The 64-team field will be announced on Monday at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Shortstop Dustin Hood was named to the ACC Baseball All-Tournament Team. Hood finished the tournament 6-for-16 with two RBIs and three runs scored. He had the game-tying RBI single in the seventh inning on Sunday.

Wake starter Charlie Mellies turned in a clutch performance on the mound. Making his first start since April 22, Mellies got a no-decision with a season-long five innings of work. He allowed one unearned run on four hits. Mellies did not have a strikeout or a walk.

The Deacons struck first with an unearned run in the first. Ben Terry led off with an infield single, chopping a ball past the glove of third baseman Chad Flack. Hood moved Terry to second on a sacrifice bunt, and Allan Dykstra got him to third on a groundout. After UNC starter Luke Putkonen hit Willy Fox with the next pitch, Terry scored on a passed ball when a 1-2 pitch from Putkonen went through the legs of catcher Tim Federowicz.

North Carolina tied it up with an unearned run of its own in the fourth. Garrett Gore reached on a throwing error by Hood, and two batters later Federowicz singled to put two on with one out. After Mellies got Josh Horton to fly out to right, moving Gore to third, Chad Flack singled to drive in the tying run. Mellies looked to have Flack struck out on an 0-2 pitch, but Flack took it for a ball and singled on the next pitch.

The Tar Heels took the lead with a run off reliever Brad Kledzik in the seventh. Kyle Seager hit a one-out double to right and then moved to third on Seth Williams' single. With runners at the corners, Wake Forest brought in lefty Eric Niesen to face the top of UNC's lineup. Niesen got Reid Fronk to hit a slow roller to third, but Tyler Smith juggled the ball and was only able to go to first for the out, allowing Seager to score the go-ahead run.

Wake responded with the tying run in its half of the seventh. Evan Ocheltree laced a one-out single to left, and one out later Terry was hit by a pitch for the second time on the day. Hood followed with a two-out base hit through the left side. Ocheltree raced home and scored the tying run from second, hook-sliding past the sweep tag of Federowicz. After Putkonen intentionally walked Dykstra to load the bases, North Carolina went to reliever Matt Danford to face Fox. Fox was able to drive the ball to centerfield, but the wind knocked it down and Williams was there to make the catch.

UNC came right back with a run in the top of the eighth. Closer Josh Ellis came on to start the inning and walked Dustin Ackley to start. Ellis then struck out Federowicz, but Ackley was able to steal second on the play. Josh Horton followed by lining a ball to rightfield. Ocheltree came in and tried to make a diving catch, but the ball got past him and rolled to the wall. Ackley scored the go-ahead run, and Horton made it all the way to third.

The Tar Heels then put the squeeze play on, but Flack was unable to get the bunt down, stranding Horton in a rundown at third. Jones made the tag, and Ellis quickly got Flack to groundout to end the rally.

Wake Forest threatened to tie it up with a rally in the ninth, but the Deacons came up short in the end. Ocheltree led off with a single to left center and then moved to second on pinch hitter Eric Williams' sacrifice bunt. Terry followed with a grounder to shortstop Horton, but Horton cut down Ocheltree trying to take third for the second out of the inning. Hood then tried to reach on a bunt but hit it back to the pitcher for the final out of the game.

Ellis (5-3) took the loss for the Deacons. The senior closer allowed one run on one hit in two innings of relief. He struck out two and walked one.

Eric Niesen made his fourth appearance of the ACC Tournament, pitching 2/3 of an inning to end the seventh.

Kledzik pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits. He had one strikeout and no walks in his fifth relief appearance of the season.

Ocheltree had two of Wake's five hits on the day, going 2-for-3 with a run. Hood finished 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Putkonen went 6 1/3 innings in the no-decision. The righthander allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits. Putkonen struck out six, walked three and hit four batters.

Danford (5-0) earned the win in relief, despite pitching just 1/3 innings.

Closer Andrew Carignan picked up his 13th save of the season with two scoreless innings of relief.

Federowicz and Horton had two hits apiece for the Tar Heels. Horton was named the Tournament MVP.