Carver Goes Yard, UNCW Diamond Hawks Win Series Opener

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Senior Mark Carver, pictured right, a Colonial Athletic Association Player-of-the-Year candidate, hit a 1-out home run in the bottom of the eighth to lift No. 26 UNC Wilmington past Old Dominion, 3-2, in a conference game Thursday at Brooks Field.

The Seahawks improved to 40-12-1 on the season and 24-3-1 in the league. The Monarchs, meanwhile, fell to .500 at 24-24 overall and 13-13 in conference action.

Junior Brad Holt won his ninth straight decision to raise his record to 9-1. Holt struck out 11 and walked three while surrendering two runs, one earned, on six hits in a season-high eight innings. Freshman Cameron Roth pitched a perfect ninth for his third save of the season.

Junior Dan Hudson was the hard-luck loser for the Monarch as the righthander dropped to 5-5 on the season. Hudson went the distance for the third time this season while limiting the Seahawks to just three hits. He walked two and struck out seven while allowing three runs.

Carver’s round tripper was his 21st of the season and tied the UNCW single season record set by former Seahawk slugger Bryan Britt in 1996. The senior from Wendell, N.C., also moved into a tie for third nationally in home runs.

ODU senior David Burns and sophomore Gerard Hall were the only two players with two hits on the night as Hudson and Holt stole the show in a game that lasted 2:16.

UNCW’s first hit of the game also knocked in the first run as the Seahawks took an early 1-0 in the bottom of the third. Sophomore Rhett Miller, who reached base safely in two of his three plate appearances, was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. A 1-out walk to Hill moved Miller to second and with two out, Appel singled into center field to score Miller.

Miller again was the catalyst for the Seahawks as they pushed their lead to 2-0 with a run in the fifth. Miller singled to lead off the inning and moved up on a sacrifice bunt. He moved around to third on a ground ball and scored on a wild pitch.

After retiring the first two batters in the seventh, Holt allowed an unearned run with two out. Holt fanned the first two batters, but sophomore Jake McAloose’s fly ball to right was dropped by Hill for a 2-base error. Hall followed with a single to left to score McAloose.

ODU rallied in the eighth for a run as the Monarchs tied the game at two. Junior Max Most and senior Bryan Cipolla had back-to-back 1-out singles against Holt and with two out, Burns lined a single into left center to bring in Most and tie the game at 2-all.

The series continues on Friday with a 7 p.m. start.

Notes: Mark Carver also tied UNCW’s career hit-by-pitch record of 32, set by Tim Preston in 2005 … UNCW improved to 10-2 in 1-run games and 33-0 when leading after eight innings … Tonight was the 100th meeting between the two programs and the series is tied at 50-all … The Seahawks were held to three hits for the second straight game … Jason Appel extended his team-leading hitting streak to five games. -Courtesy UNCW Sports Information (Photo: Calvin McGowan)

-- Jesse Jones, CAPE FEAR SPORTS REPORT