Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
North Carolina
Deacons Topple Tar Heels, 8-2
4/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 5, 2002
Winston-Salem, N.C. - Sophomore third baseman Jamie D'Antona belted a pair of two-run homers and finished with five RBI as the seventh-ranked Wake Forest baseball team defeated 12th-ranked North Carolina 8-2 on Friday at Hooks Stadium.
Kyle Sleeth scattered four hits through 7.1 innings, improving his season record to 6-0 as the Demon Deacons won their ninth consecutive contest over the Tar Heels.
Wake Forest improved to 24-5 (7-2 ACC) and pulled within a half-game of the ACC-leading Tar Heels who slipped to 21-10 (8-2 ACC).
Tied at two after two and a half innings, the Deacons took the lead for good on the first of D'Antona's home runs, a two-run shot to right-center field. In the fifth, D'Antona cleared the scoreboard in left-center field, his second homer of the day and ninth of the year.
Meanwhile, Sleeth was on cruise control, retiring 13 of 15 batters between the fourth and the seventh innings. He finished the day with four strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 3.58. Dave Bush came on with two runners on base in the eighth inning but escaped the jam with a strikeout and a flyout before pitching a 1-2-3 ninth.
Ryan Johnson had two hits and scored three runs for the Deacons. Adam Bourassa and Steve LeFaivre also tallied a pair of hits for Wake Forest.
Scott Autrey (1-2) suffered the loss for UNC. He allowed six runs, four earned, in six innings of work with six strikeouts and five walks.
The two teams will resume their weekend series on Saturday night under the lights at Ernie Shore Field. First pitch is 6:00 p.m. Winston-Salem freshman Brian Bach will get the start for the Deacons.
