North Carolina
2-1
South Florida
1-2
Heels Win Thriller At USF, 9-8
February 18, 2018 | Baseball
The Tar Heels were in control of the game through the top of the seventh inning, leading USF 8-1, until the Bulls scored seven runs in the bottom of the seventh. Four Tar Heel pitchers hit three batters, conceded four walks and gave up three hits, including a two-run home run, to 13 Bulls batters to even the score.
Neither team scored over the next two innings and the Heels went in to extra innings for the first time this season. Leading off the 10th inning, Ike Freeman lined a fastball to left-center that cleared the fence for a solo home run to put the Heels back on top, 9-8. Austin Bergner retired nine straight batters to earn his first win of the season after coming on in the eighth inning.
Carolina jumped out to the early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning with a solo home run from Cody Roberts and followed it up with another run in the top of the third inning to double the lead and make it 2-0. Dylan Enwiller singled to center to start the top of the third and subsequently stole second base to put a runner in scoring position. After a Brandon Riley walk, Kyle Datres continued his hot start to the season with a single up the middle to bring home Enwiller.
The Bulls cut the lead in half with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning as Chris Chatfield singled to center field and was brought home by Garrett Zech on a high fly ball that got lost in the sun as he made his was to third base. The fly ball went straight up to left field where Ashton McGee couldn't track it down as Chatfield crossed the plate and made it 2-1.
Brandon Martorano wasted little time getting the Tar Heels two-run lead back as he blasted a solo home run in the fifth inning to put Carolina up, 3-1.
The Heels tacked on two more runs in the sixth thanks to some shaky defense from the Bulls and a big hit from freshman Clemente Inclan. Zack Gahagan started the inning with a dribbler back to the mound, but after an overthrow by the pitcher, he advanced to second. After taking third on a wild pitch, Inclan delivered his first collegiate hit and RBI with a two-out double to the warning track to score Gahagan. Inclan came home to score before the inning wrapped up thanks in part to two more passed balls as the Heels took a 5-1 lead in to the bottom of the sixth.
After tacking on three more runs in the seventh to build an 8-1 lead, the Bulls came roaring back with seven runs of its own to tie the game, 8-8, before Freeman stepped to the plate and hit the game-winning home run.
Bergner picked up the win for the Heels in his first appearance this season and Cody Roberts had another big game at the plate as he went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and one run scored.
The Tar Heels will host its home opener at Boshamer Stadium on Tuesday at 3 p.m. against UNCW.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bergner, Austin (1-0)
L: PEREZ, Andrew (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Riley, Brandon 1 ; Busch, Michael 1 ; Inclan, Clemente 1
HR: Freeman, Ike 1 ; Roberts, Cody 1 ; Martorano, Brandon 1
RBI: Datres, Kyle 1 ; Busch, Michael 1 ; Freeman, Ike 1 ; Roberts, Cody 2 ; Inclan, Clemente 1 ; Martorano, Brandon 1
SF: Roberts, Cody 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Datres, Kyle 1 ; Busch, Michael 1 ; Gahagan, Zack 2 ; Freeman, Ike 1 ; Roberts, Cody 1 ; Inclan, Clemente 1 ; Martorano, Brandon 1 ; Enwiller, Dylan 1
SB: Enwiller, Dylan 1
Batting:
2B: VILLAR, David 1 ; CHATFIELD, Chris 1
3B: ZECH, Garrett 1
HR: RAGSDALE, Carson 1
RBI: WISELY, Alec 1 ; MONTES, Coco 1 ; VILLAR, David 2 ; RAGSDALE, Carson 2 ; ZECH, Garrett 2
SF: ZECH, Garrett 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WISELY, Alec 1 ; VILLAR, David 1 ; RAGSDALE, Carson 1 ; DUTKA, JD 1 ; DIETRICH, Tyler 1 ; CHATFIELD, Chris 2 ; PHILLIPS, Kyle 1
CS: DUTKA, JD 1
HBP: WISELY, Alec 1 ; MONTES, Coco 1 ; VILLAR, David 1 ; CHATFIELD, Chris 1
