University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Tar Heels Pass Road Exam
April 28, 2011 | Baseball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
April 28, 2011
By Adam Lucas
GREENVILLE--Almost everything about Carolina's ninth-inning comeback at East Carolina on Wednesday night was backwards. Trailing 4-3 in the final frame, the Tar Heels were sending up the eighth and ninth spots in their batting order. Those slots were occupied by Matt Roberts and Parks Jordan, who had exactly 49 combined at-bats in 42 games coming into the evening.
They would be facing Pirate righty Seth Simmons, who had given up one earned run the entire 2011 season. Head coach Mike Fox would have typically pinch-hit for Roberts, a righty, to avoid a right-on-right matchup against slider-happy Simmons. But because of a series of moves partially involving two-way player Greg Holt, the Tar Heels were out of left-handed pinch-hitting options on the bench.
"Simmons is really good," Fox said. "We told Matt he didn't want to have to hit a slider, so hit the first fastball he sees."
With the ECU outfield playing deep, Roberts perfectly placed that first fastball down the right-field line for a double. Another freshman, Jordan, followed with a perfectly executed bunt that went for a hit. And following a walk to Tommy Coyle, the Tar Heels had a dream scenario: bases loaded, no one out, and switch-hitting Levi Michael and lefty Colin Moran--who happen to be the two best Carolina hitters with runners in scoring position--due up.
It didn't just feel like a game-winning opportunity. It felt like a game-breaking opportunity. But Michael and Moran lofted pop flies that weren't deep enough to score a run, bringing up righty Jesse Wierzbicki against Simmons.
"We were a little deflated getting no runs with our two lefties up there," Fox said.
Understand this: Simmons is exactly the kind of fastball/slider righty who was Wierzbicki's kryptonite last season. But the Georgia native is a more polished hitter this year, and in addition to Fox frequently citing his leadership as a key to Carolina's 33-10 record, he's among the team leaders in batting average, RBI and slugging percentage.
With the crowd of over 4,000 sensing their Pirates about to escape from a major jam against a coach who has tormented them--Fox is now 17-3 against ECU--Wierzbicki showed good patience and worked himself into a 2-1 count.
"He was throwing nothing but sliders and I got into a good hitter's count," Wierzbicki said. "I was just trying to put the ball in play. I didn't want to get big on my swing and try to crush it, because you can't hit a slider that way."
The result was a two-run soft line drive that dropped perfectly into left, allowing Jordan to easily score the go-ahead run from second base. Simmons would later say of Wierzbicki, ="" <="" href="http://www.reflector.com/sports/ecu/ninth-inning-nightmare-pirates-vs-heels-458586?DB_OEM_ID=3350"> because of the way the ball found a hole. But it hasn't just been good fortune. The senior has also made some technical adjustments that have paid dividends.
"Jesse is so much more locked in and much shorter to the ball," Fox said. "Last year he had those injuries that took their toll, and it makes your swing get longer and slower. Coach (Scott) Jackson has worked with him on his hands."
It was the kind of gritty road win--ECU is a top-25 RPI team--that can pay dividends in May and June, when the Tar Heels are likely to encounter similar adversity at some point. Carolina remains in contention for a regional hosting slot and a national seed, and can now sit back during their open weekend and watch ACC foes beat up on each other.
The short-term benefit is a much more positive vibe going into the weeklong exam break. As soon as Michael Morin put the final touches on the 5-4 Tar Heel victory with an impressive bottom of the ninth, pitching coach Scott Forbes turned to Fox and said, "What a win going into finals!"
"From an emotional standpoint, you couldn't ask for anything better," Fox said. "We snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in this one."
Lose to the Pirates, and Carolina faced the prospect of going into the exam break riding a stretch of six losses in eight games. The win, however, turns recent Tar Heel history into a two-game winning streak against a pair of quality teams, featuring a wild Wednesday win that included contributions from virtually everyone who made the bus ride to Greenville.
"We kept everybody together and we just kept picking each other up," Wierzbicki said. "That's how you win the close ones. And that's how we won this one."
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly. He is also the author or co-author of six books on Carolina basketball, including the official chronicle of the first 100 years of Tar Heel hoops, A Century of Excellence, which is available now. Get real-time UNC sports updates from the THM staff on Twitter.
