North Carolina vs California - NCAA Regional Baseball Recap

North Carolina 12, California 3

This game was over almost as soon as it started. 

North Carolina bashed the boys from Berkeley for six runs in the first inning, as the Tar Heels rolled past the shellshocked Golden Bears in the second game of the Norman Regional at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

The six-run first was a total train wreck for California starter Justin Jones (10-6). The sweaty-palmed pitcher suffered the loss after failing to record an out. Jones coughed up four runs on two hits and one walk before heading to the showers. Actually, one has to wonder if a shower was even necessary after that short an outing. Dillon Hazlett cranked a three-run homer in North Carolina’s six-run outburst. UNC added three more runs in the fourth, thanks to a two-run home run by Ben Bunting, who thankfully didn’t live up to his last name.  

> Check out a great selection of North Carolina Tar Heels Apparel & Merchandise & be sure to follow the 2010 College World Series with DFN Sports Sites!

All this run support was more than enough for UNC starter Matt Harvey (8-3). The Carolina twirler went six solid innings, giving up just two runs and preventing the Golden Bears from generating the big inning they so desperately needed. Some pitchers will get lazy if they have a 9-1 lead after three and a half innings, but Harvey stayed focused and made sure that Cal didn’t make this game interesting in the middle innings.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer