Chris Taylor led Charlotte with three hits at Wake Forest. |
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Charlotte Drops Extra-Inning Decision At Wake Forest
Feb. 27, 2007
Winston-Salem, N.C. - Wake Forest scored seven unanswered runs to come from behind and defeat the Charlotte 49ers 9-7 in 10 innings at Gene Hooks Field in Winston-Salem, N.C. Tuesday afternoon. The loss marks the second time in as many weeks the Niners lost in extra innings, after starting the year with a 10-inning win against High Point. Wake has won two in a row to improve to 5-3, while Charlotte has a two-game win streak snapped to fall to 7-3.
Wake's Tyler Smith belted a two-run home run to right, his first hit of the season, to win the game in extra innings. Charlotte gave up a two-run home run at Furman last Wednesday in the tenth to lose 4-3.
Niners right fielder Chris Taylor blasted a two-run home run to left in the first inning to cap a three-run frame and get Charlotte off to the quick start. Wake answered with a run in the bottom half to make the score 3-1.
Charlotte then scored two more runs in the third on four hits, including an RBI double by first baseman Alex Burt. The Niners chased starter Alex Weiner from the game after four innings, with his team trailing 5-2.
Two more runs came home in the fifth, as both Taylor and Burt scored on RBI by third baseman Aaron Bray and catcher Kris Rochelle.
Wake Forest came roaring back, scoring an unearned run in the sixth and four runs on five hits against three different pitchers in the seventh to tie it up. Charlotte starter Spencer Steedley left the game in the seventh with the lead, but the Demon Deacons were able to score another run charged to the bullpen to give him a no-decision. It is the third time Steedley has left the game with a lead or a tie in four starts. In six innings pitched, he allowed four hits and four walks, striking out four. He gave up six runs and five were earned on the evening.
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Reliever Bryan Hamilton got Charlotte out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, inducing a ground ball double play against Wake's leading hitter, first baseman Allan Dykstra.
Charlotte had a runner thrown out trying to score in the eighth and left five runners on base in the final three innings to take the loss.
Hamilton stayed in to retire the side in the ninth, but gave up a single, got a groundout and allowed the two-run homer in the tenth. Hamilton falls to 0-1.
Wake closer Ben Hunter got his first win of the season (1-0). He stayed in and threw 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, allowing one hit and one walk.
Taylor had three hits for Charlotte, scored three times and hit two RBI on the evening. Burt and left fielder Brad McElroy had two hits each for Charlotte. Steedley scored two runs for the Niners.
The Niners begin a weekend series Friday, when they host James Madison at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium in Kannapolis, N.C. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday, with noon starts on Saturday and Sunday.
