Chris Taylor had three hits in each game, finishing Sunday 6-for-9 |
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Charlotte 49ers Split Season-Opening Doubleheader With Wake Forest
Feb. 12, 2006
Charlotte, N.C. - The Charlotte 49ers scored a run in each of their last two at-bats, but couldn't complete the comeback in losing game two of a doubleheader to Wake Forest, 9-8 on Sunday at Tom & Lib Phillips Field.
Charlotte (1-1) won the first game of the twinbill, the season opener for both teams, 11-2.
In game two, Chris Taylor (Mt. Pleasant, N.C.) again collected three hits to finish the day 6-for-9. Spencer Steedley and Cory Lane each collected two hits.
Wake Forest (1-1) jumped out to a 5-0 lead with five runs in the top of the third, and eventually led 6-1 before the 49ers mounted a 5-run comeback to tie the contest.
Wake would edge ahead in the sixth, 7-6, and extend their lead to 8-6 with another run in the seventh.
Charlotte, though, refused to quit, and scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to make it a 8-7 game. Spencer Steedley singled through the right side and moved to second on a Chris Taylor single, before both runners advanced on a balk. Kris Rochelle walked to load the bases, bringing on reliever Eric Niesen for Wake Forest.
Redshirt junior Adam Floyd, down 0-2 in the count, flew out to right field to drive in Steedley and make the score 8-7. With two men on, pinch hitter Blair Wells, a redshirt freshman, drew a walk to again load the bases, but the 49ers left three stranded as closer Ben Hunter came on in relief and got a strike out and a foul out along the third baseline to get out of the jam.
Wake Forest would score an unearned run with two outs in the top of the ninth for what would prove to be the game-winning run.
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After defensive changes due to two pinch hitters the previous inning, Steedley manned center field with John Stallings in right. The two miscommunicated on a fly ball to right center, which was dropped to allow Austin Jones to reach second base. He came around to score on a full-count RBI single in the next at-bat for a 9-7 Wake lead.
Charlotte rallied again in their last turn at bat, when Steedley drew a two-out walk. Chris Taylor came up with a clutch single to center, moving Steedley to third, before Kris Rochelle's routine grounder to second base went right through the legs of Andy Goff to give the Niners hope. Steedley scored to make it a 9-8 game, but Wake closer Hunter induced a fielder's choice to shortstop to end the game.
Freshman reliever Sam Pierce (Davidson, N.C.) helped keep the 49ers in the game by allowing just one unearned run in 2.2 innings of work, striking out four. He entered in the fifth inning and bridged the gap to the ninth, where Keith Moreland came on and allowed just the unearned run on the outfield error and single.
The 49ers will be in action next Friday, Saturday and Sunday as Canisius comes to the Queen City for their season-opening series. Friday's game begins at 4:00, while both weekend games will begin at noon.
