University of North Carolina Athletics
Robinson's Dinger Powers White Team In FWS
October 17, 2009 | Baseball
Oct. 17, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Sophomore first baseman Tarron Robinson connected on a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to lift the White team to a 5-4 win Saturday in North Carolina's intra-squad baseball Fall World Series at Boshamer Stadium. After securing the first best-of-three set Friday, the White squad now leads the second series, 1-0.
Robinson, who also walked twice, and freshman outfielder Chaz Frank each drove in two runs for White, while junior catcher Jesse Wierzbicki went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles. Sophomore right fielder Seth Baldwin was 2-for-3 with a solo homer for the Blue team, which also got two hits apiece from rookies Brian Goodwin and Brett Knief.
After a rocky start for White, sophomore right-hander Garrett Davis settled in and picked up the win, allowing just two runs on four hits and four walks over four-plus innings. He struck out three and gave up just two singles after allowing two runs in the first inning.
Freshman left-hander R.C. Orlan allowed two runs over 2 2/3 innings out of the bullpen before Greg Holt, who also scored two runs on the day, picked up the final out in the seventh for his second save of the FWS.
Freshman righty Cody Stiles went four innings for the Blue squad and allowed four runs on four hits and a walk. He struck out two. Classmate Cody Penny allowed one unearned run over two innings in relief.
Tommy Coyle led off the game with a walk, stole second and scored the afternoon's first run on a single to left field by Goodwin. After Goodwin was picked off, Dillon Hazlett doubled to right center and three straight walks led to a 2-0 lead for the Blue squad. Brett Thomas drove in the second run of the frame with a bases-loaded free pass.
White answered in the bottom of the inning with two of its own to knot the score. After two quick outs, Levi Michael singled and Wierzbicki doubled for the first time to put two in scoring position for Frank, who sent the first pitch he saw to left center to drive in both runners and tie the game.
Both starters settled in from there with scoreless second and third innings until Robinson gave the White squad a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth with his two-run homer. After Holt was hit by a pitch, Robinson drilled a Stiles offering well over the wall in left center with two away for the go-ahead runs.
The two-run cushion held up until the sixth when Coyle brought Blue within a run on an RBI single. Thomas drew a leadoff walk and scored from third when Coyle singled to right center. Knief, the potential game-tying run, was thrown out at the plate on the play, and Orlan wriggled out of the jam without any further damage.
White picked up an insurance run in the sixth with the help of a pair of fielding miscues by the Blue team. Holt reached on a fielding error, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on the play thanks to an errant throw for a 5-3 advantage.
The insurance run was key, as Baldwin connected on a solo home run off the batter's eye in center field in the seventh to trim the lead to 5-4. Blue then put the tying and go-ahead runs on base, but Holt got induced a game-ending groundout to strand two runners.
The series continues at 1 p.m. Sunday. Admission to all games is free of charge. Any schedule changes will be posted when available at TarHeelBlue.com.
