This Day In Tar Heel Baseball History: April 16
April 16, 2020 | Baseball
April 16
For today's version of 'This Day in Recent Carolina Baseball History' we go back to 2008 and 2014 for a pair of late midweek comebacks against in-state rivals. Plus quick hits from 2006, 2013, and 2016.
When the Heels took on Charlotte in Cary on April 16, 2008 they were 30-7 and in the midst of a 5 game winning streak. But that was a golden period for the 49ers program and they came into the game with a pretty comparable record of 27-7.
The Niners got off to a good start with a pair of runs in the first inning but after that Heels starter Mike Facchinei settled in. He threw a 1-2-3 2nd, a 1-2-3 3rd, gave up a hit but then forced a double play to face the minimum in the 4th, and struck out the side in the 5th. He got the first 2 outs in the 6th before leaving with a strong 5.2 innings, 5 hits, no walks performance with no further damage after the 1st.
It was a good thing he held them at bay because it took a long time for the Heels bats to get going. Charlotte still led 2-0 in the bottom of the 6th when Chad Flack hit a 1 out single and came around on a triple by Kyle Seager. A wild pitch sent Kyle home and the game was tied at 2.
Colin Bates had come in to get the last out of the 6th and followed it up with a 1-2-3 7th. Charlotte loaded the bases in the 8th with 2 outs but Brian Moran coaxed an innocent fly ball to center to end the threat, then struck out 2 in a scoreless 9th.
In the bottom of the inning it looked like the Heels were going to wrap it up. Garrett Gore and Tim Federowicz singled on back to back pitches and moved to 2nd and 3rd with 1 out and Dustin Ackley at the plate. I am sort of shocked Charlotte didn't walk him intentionally to set up the double play in that situation but they pitched to him and he hit a fly ball that wasn't deep enough to score the run- a very rare time he didn't deliver. The next batter made an out too and it was on to extras.
Brian threw a 1-2-3 10th with a pair of strikeouts. In the bottom half of the inning Kyle Seager reached 2nd on an error, Seth Williams got an intentional pass, they moved up to 2nd and 3rd on a passed ball, and Brett Thomas got intentionally walked as well to load the bases with 2 outs. But for the second inning in a row we left the winning run on 3rd, after hitting into a FC.
It seemed like those missed opportunities were really going to cost us after Charlotte scored a pair of runs in the 11th to take a 4-2 lead. In the bottom half of the inning Dustin Ackley drew a 1 out walk but after the next hitter was retired we were down to our last out.
But then Tim Fedroff drew a walk to put runners on 1st and 2nd. And after falling behind 1-2 and bringing the Heels down to their last pitch, Chad Flack singled to right to bring in Dustin and make it 4-3. And after falling behind 0-2 to again bring the Heels down to their last pitch Kyle Seager singled up the middle to send Tim home and tie the game back up at 4.
In the 12th inning of a midweek game the Heels just casually brought in the future All Star game starting pitcher, Matt Harvey, to relieve. He'd only thrown 1 inning in his previous start so he needed to get some work in anyway. He set the Niners down in order, including a pair of K's.
In the bottom of the 12th Brett Thomas drew a leadoff walk, and got pinch run for by Ben Bunting. Ben's speed made them nervous and he ended up moving to 2nd on a muffed pick off attempt.
Runner on 2nd, nobody out, you're feeling pretty good. But then on a bunt attempt Charlotte went to 3rd to try to get the lead runner...and did! So now you're back to just a runner on 1st with 1 out.
But Tim Federowicz got hit with a pitch to put runners on 1st and 2nd. And Dustin Ackley hit an infield single to load the bases with 1 out.
That brought up Kyle Shelton. And he hit a ball to deep enough short that Charlotte couldn't make the play at home or turn a double play either, allowing Garrett Gore to come home with the winning run for the 5-4 victory just short of 4 hours after the game started.
Matt Harvey got the win in relief. The key to the game was probably Mike Facchinei throwing effectively into the 6th after having a rough start though- it was a week where we played 5 games, putting pitching at a premium.
Chad Flack had 3 hits, including the 300th of his career, and set the program record for career at bats in the game. Tim Federowicz also had a trio of hits, including a double. Dustin Ackley, Kyle Seager, and Seth Williams all had a pair of hits and the win gave the Heels their 6th of what would become a 12 game winning streak.Â
On April 16th, 2014 the Heels took on Elon at the Bosh and the game followed sort of a similar pattern to the 2008 game. AJ Bogucki started and had a solid outing, giving up 1 earned run in 3.2 innings. But he left the game on the hook for the loss because the bats couldn't get going- only 2 hits and no runners in scoring position in the first 5 innings.
The Phoenix led 3-0 as the game went to the bottom of the 6th. Brandon Whiteford pinch hit and drew a walk to get things started. He moved to 2nd on a wild pitch, and a deep fly ball by Michael Russell got him over to 3rd. Wood Myers doubled to bring him around. Skye Bolt walked to put 2 runners on base but the next hitter made the 2nd out of the inning. Landon Lassiter came up with a clutch single to left to score Wood and cut the deficit to 3-2.
But in the top of the 7th Elon got another one to push their lead back to 4-2, and still had runners on the corners with nobody out. The situation had the potential to get out of hand. But in came Reilly Hovis- and out went the threat. He got a fly out to center that wasn't deep enough to score the run, then struck out the next 2 batters to leave the runner he inherited on 3rd standing right there.
The Heels threatened in the 7th and 8th but couldn't get on the board. Tyler Ramirez singled and Michael Russell walked in the 7th but were stranded. Then in the 8th Tom Zengel singled and Parks Jordan walked, but they got stranded as well.
Elon threatened to build on their lead in the 8th with a leadoff double. But Spencer Trayner came in and that was the end of Phoenix base runners for the evening- he retired the rest of the side in order, and threw a 1-2-3 9th on top of that.
That brought the game to the bottom of the 9th with Elon leading 4-2. It all got started when Tyler Ramirez, power hitter, dropped an unexpected bunt down the 3B line. He beat it out for a single- I don't know if he came up with that or the coaches but either way it was a genius move.
Alex Raburn was up next and hit the ball to third...and it got thrown away, allowing him to reach and put runners on 1st and 2nd.
That brought up Michael Russell, who was the best hitter on the team in 2014. You're not expecting him to bunt either. But he did and caught Elon by surprise again, and not only did he get a single but they threw it away again. Michael went to 2nd, Alex went to 3rd, Tyler scored to make it 4-3.
Wood Myers was up next and hit a sac fly to left to bring Alex home and tie the game.Â
Something I had sort of forgotten about Michael Russell, one of my all time favorites, before doing all these write ups was how much he made happen on the base paths. So now there's 1 out and he's on 2nd- he steals 3rd!Â
Elon doesn't want anything to do with Skye Bolt up and the winning run on 3rd and intentionally walks him. Colby Barnette works a full count and then draws a walk himself to load the bases.
That brought up Landon Lassiter. He works a full count, fouls one off, and on the 7th pitch of the at bat singles to center to bring in Michael for the 5-4 walk off come from behind win.
Spencer Trayner got the win for 2 flawless innings of work. Reilly Hovis saved the game by not letting Elon get any more runs in the 7th. And Tom Zengel, Tyler Ramirez, and Landon each had a pair of hits. This team ended up just barely on the right side of the bubble for the NCAA tournament- who knows if the bunts and base running that night in the 9th might have just gotten the Heels to the win total they needed.Â
And quick hits from 2006, 2013, and 2016:
-In 2006 the Heels finished the sweep in Virginia Tech's first visit to Chapel Hill as a member of the ACC, 12-4. Benji Johnson hit 2 triples, something I imagine not too many catchers can claim, and both drove in and scored 3. Chad Flack (including a triple and a pair of RBI) and Mike Cavasinni also had multi hit games.Â
The Heels actually trailed 4-0 in the 4th when Tim Federowicz got the scoring started with a 2 run double. It was still a 4-3 deficit in the 7th but the Heels got 5 in the 7th and 4 in the 8th. Jay Cox and Reid Fronk each drove in a pair of runs as well.Â
Daniel Bard went 7 innings and gave up 5 hits for the win- none of the Hokie runs were earned. Matt Danford threw 1.2 scoreless innings and Brian Farrell got the final out to finish the sweep. The Heels also swept Virginia Tech at home in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2018.
-In 2013 the Heels beat Coastal Carolina 5-1 to make it a 10 game winning streak...on top of the 16 game and 9 game winning streaks they'd already had that season. Chris Munnelly had a strong start and got the win, giving up just 1 run and striking out 6 in 6.2 innings of work. Chris McCue followed that up with 2 scoreless innings, and Trent Thornton came on with the bases loaded in the 9th and got a ground ball for the final out of the game and the save. Â
The Heels got all their runs in the 6th and 7th. A pair came in the 6th when Parks Jordan walked, Chaz Frank tripled to bring him around, Â and came home on a sac fly by Colin Moran. In the 7th they got 3 on a Cody Stubbs solo shot that was followed by Michael Russell walking, Mike Zolk singling him to 3rd, Matt Roberts squeezing in Michael, and Parks hitting a single to bring around Zoom.
The 4 hits they got in those two innings were the only ones the Heels got all day, but they were efficient! The win pushed the season record to 35-2.
-Finally in 2016 the Heels had an emphatic win in Charlottesville, beating Virginia 8-1. JB Bukauskas had a dominant performance, striking out 11 in 7 innings while only allowing 4 hits. He beat Adam Haseley for the Hoos in a match between 2 players who would go in the first round the next year. Scoreless innings from Brett Daniels and Spencer Trayner closed it out.Â
Eli Sutherland (including a home run, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored), Kyle Datres (including a home run and 2 runs scored), and Adam Pate (including a double and 2 runs scored) each had a pair of hits. An RBI triple from Cody Roberts also contributed to the Heels offense in the win over the defending national champions.Â
