University of North Carolina Athletics
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Georgia Tech
Tar Heels Fall In Ninth At Georgia Tech, 9-8
May 14, 2011 | Baseball
May 14, 2011
ATLANTA - Georgia Tech staged a dramatic comeback Saturday night at Russ Chandler Stadium in Atlanta as the Yellow Jackets (36-15, 19-7 ACC) scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth to down North Carolina (40-11, 17-9 ACC), 9-8. The Tar Heels held an 8-4 lead going to the bottom of the ninth and had been 35-0 when leading a game into the final frame.
The Tar Heels battled back from an early 1-0 deficit with a three-run third before the Yellow Jackets knotted things up at 3-3 after four full innings.
Carolina pushed across five runs in the sixth and seventh to jump out to an 8-3 lead putting the Tar Heels in position to claim the series, but the Yellow Jackets scored six runs over the final two innings to claim the come-from-behind win.
Georgia Tech jumped on freshman Kent Emanuel right from the start as freshman lead off man Kyle Wren laced a ball into the right center field gap for a triple and would score on a RBI single from Jacob Esch.
A bunt single by Matt Skole would put two runners on but Emanuel settled down getting a strikeout and a pair of fly outs to end the first.
After going down in order in the first and second innings the Tar Heel bats came to life in the third when Ben Bunting beat out a bunt for an infield single. Bunting then swiped his 13th and 14th stolen bases of the season to get to third base.
ack-to-back strikeouts put two outs on the board for the top of the order and Chaz Frank. The sophomore drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Levi Michael who lifted a pitch to deep left center clearing the bases with a two-run double.
Colin Moran followed Michael's RBI hit with one of his own as he waited on a Jed Bradley offering and poked it up the middle for a run-scoring single putting UNC in front 3-1 after two and a half innings.
The Yellow Jackets pulled a run back right away in the bottom of the third when Matt Skole opened the inning with a solo home run to right field making the score 3-2.
Georgia Tech evened things up at three runs apiece in the bottom of the fourth as the first three batters in the inning reached on a single, a fielder's choice and a single before Kyle Wren hit into a RBI ground out.
After a scoreless fifth inning the Tar Heels regained the lead in the top half of the sixth with their second three-run inning of the night.
Moran drew a one-out walk and moved to second when Bradley attempted to pick off the freshman but overthrew the first baseman. Jesse Wierzbicki followed with a walk of his own before Tommy Coyle lifted a single into center field scoring Moran and putting Carolina in front.
Jacob Stallings delivered the next big hit for the Tar Heels hit a bouncing ball over the third baseman's head and down the line in left field for a run-scoring double.
An intentional walk to Ben Bunting loaded the bases for Greg Holt who executed a safety squeeze scoring Coyle on the play and upping Carolina's lead to 6-3.
The Tar Heels tacked on two more runs in the seventh when Jesse Wierzbicki drove a pitch over the right field wall for a two-run home run after Colin Moran drew his second walk of the evening.
Daniel Palka pulled a run back in the bottom half of the eighth with a solo home run to right field making the score 8-4.
The Yellow Jackets opened the ninth with a single off of Andrew Smith before tallying a double and a walk off of Michael Morin to load the bases. R.C. Orlan came out of the pen struck out slugger Matt Skole but Jake Davies was able to sneak a ground ball past Tommy Coyle at second base and in to right field clearing the bases as Greg Holt was unable to corral the ball in right allowing the third run to score.
Holt would have a chance to amend his miscue in right as he would follow Orlan on the mound. Mott Hyde singled through the left side plating the game-tying run before Daniel Palka went to 4-for-5 on the night with the game-winning single to right field giving Georgia Tech the 9-8 win.
Carolina's one through seven hitters all tallied hits in the setback as Michael and Wierzbicki each tallied two RBI.
Carolina and Georgia Tech will battle in Sunday's rubber match set for 1 p.m. with sophomore right-hander Chris Munnelly taking the hill for the Tar Heels.
