ROCK HILL, SC – The Winthrop baseball team managed to record more hits than second-ranked North Carolina, but lack of clutch hitting from the Eagles was determinant in the 6-1 Tar Heel win on Thursday afternoon in game two of the Coca-Cola Classic at the Winthrop Ballpark.
The Eagles (2-3) got the leadoff man aboard in five of the nine innings, but only managed to score one run as they left a total of eight runners stranded. As a team, Winthrop had nine hits as opposed to North Carolina’s (4-1) seven.
“We took a lot of called third strikes with men in scoring position and you just can’t do that,” said Winthrop head coach Joe Hudak. “This game was very close, it could have gone either way on a turn of a hit here or there that we could have gotten. But we just couldn’t get it done.”
Junior first baseman Eddie Tisdale had a solid offensive outing as he hit three extra base hits, all doubles. Junior second baseman Aaron Bonomi also had a good day at the plate as he went three for four, as well as freshman outfielder Tony Brunetti, who recorded two hits in three at bats with one RBI.
Senior lefty Ryan Mullins started on the mound for Winthrop as he worked 3.0 innings giving up one run on three hits, two walks and one strikeout. Winthrop used five other pitchers in the game and the loss was charged to sophomore lefty Dane Yoder who gave up three runs on one hit, one walk and one strikeout in 1.0 innings.
For the North Carolina offense, Kyle Seager drove in three runs as he went two for four with one home run.
Right-hander Adam Warren, a preseason All-American who collected a win over the Eagles one year ago, earned another win against Winthrop as he pitched 5.1 innings allowing one run, six hits, one walk and struck out one.
After allowing no hits in the first two innings, Winthrop took the lead in the bottom of the second as Tisdale hit a one-out double to left field and scored on a two-out single by Brunetti.
The Eagles escaped a big jam in the third as the Tar Heels had preseason All-American Dustin Ackley at bat with the bases loaded with one out, but Mullins managed to get Ackley to pop out and Chad Flack followed with a groundout as Winthrop got out of the inning.
North Carolina recorded the tying run in the fourth inning as Seager led off with a single. After freshman right-handed Mike Ritson relieved Mullins, preseason All-American Tim Federowicz advanced Seager to third on a double and the runner crossed the plate behind a Zeke Blanton groundout.
A three-run fifth inning proved decisive as the Tar Heels took the lead for good. Yoder hit leadoff hitter Garrett Gore, who advanced to second on a single by Ackley and to third on a fly out by Flack, which was deep enough to also advance Ackley to second. A sacrifice fly from Seager gave North Carolina the 2-1 lead. After Federowicz got intentionally walked, sophomore right-handed submariner Casey Bradwell relieved Yoder and hit pinch hitter Ben Bunting leaving the bases loaded for Seth Williams. Bradwell then threw four straight balls to walk Ackley home. Freshman left-handed Cam Walters then came out of the bullpen and walked Federowicz home with Kyle Shelton at the plate giving the Tar Heels a 4-1 margin.
The Eagles managed to get five men on base in the next three frames but didn’t succeed to send any of them home.
The Tar Heels put the game away in the eighth inning as Seager hit a two-run homer off freshman right-handed reliever Matteo D’Angelo giving North Carolina the final 6-1 score.
“I though right up until the two-run homer that we were right in the ball game and had a chance,” said Hudak. “Again, we had plenty of opportunities, but we just couldn’t get a big hit. We got to find some guys that want to hit when the game is on the line. This game and the St. John’s game were very similar. We just couldn’t get a hit with men in scoring position. Quite frankly, I though we pitched pretty well. I think other than the fifth inning, we pitched well. I though Mullins threw well, Matteo threw well, Ritson, Yoder and Cam Walters also threw well.”
The Eagles will be on the field again on Friday as they take on St. John’s, who beat Kent State 9-4 earlier on Thursday, on a 4 p.m. match-up at The Winthrop Ballpark.
