Floyd's 11th-Inning Single Gives Charlotte 1-0 Win in First-Ever A-10 Game
March 24, 2006
Charlotte, N.C. -- - Redshirt junior Adam Floyd (Lawndale, N.C./Burns HS) hit a dramatic two-out single in the bottom of the 11th inning to drive in Spencer Steedley, giving Charlotte a 1-0 win over George Washington in the 49ers' first-ever Atlantic 10 Conference baseball game Friday night at Tom and Lib Phillips Field.
With one away in the bottom of the 11th, Colonials reliever Derek Haese hit Steedley in the first pitch of the at-bat. He moved to second on a balk and advanced to third on a wild pitch, before Chris Taylor struck out for the second out.
After O'Brien Taylor was intentionally walked, Floyd, a defensive replacement in the 10th, came to bat for the first time in the game.
He did not wait long to give the 49ers their first-ever Atlantic 10 win, lacing the first pitch he saw into the left center gap to score Steedley from third.
Charlotte (16-7, 1-0 A-10) and George Washington (6-14, 0-1 A-10), the league's No. 1 and No. 2 teams according to the preseason coaches poll, got great pitching performances from two of the league's top starters as the teams battled through 10 and two-third scoreless innings.
George Washington's Josh Wilkie went 8.0 innings, allowing three hits and two walks. He struck out seven.
Charlotte starter Adam Mills was brilliant through 8 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out nine. Three of the hits he gave up never left the infield, with two coming on bunts and one on a high blooper that fell at the inner edge of the grass in front of a diving shortstop Mike Ambrose.
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Erik Walker entered with two men on and two outs in the top of the ninth inning, and got Tom Shanley to fly out to right center field to end the inning. He finished out 2.0 innings of work, allowing a hit and a walk with two strikeouts.
Freshman left-hander Kyle Pfirrman (2-0) earned the win by throwing just four pitches in the top of the 11th inning. He relieved Walker with two men on to get a lefty-on-lefty matchup, striking out Charlie Kruer to end the inning.
Haese (1-1) finished with 2 2/3 innings of relief, giving up just one hit - Floyd's single. He walked two and hit one batter - Steedley, who score the winning run.
It was the Niners' third extra-innings game of the season, and their second win.
The 49ers had chances throughout the game to push runs across, but were stymied each time. Charlotte stranded eight runners in all.
Their best opportunities came in the sixth. With bases loaded, Aaron Bray hit a grounder to first base, but the infield was drawn in to cut off the run and Kris Rochelle was thrown out at home easily. With bases loaded once again and two outs, Steedley flew out to center field.
GW's best opportunity to score came in the top of the ninth against Mills. With one out, Michael Parker hit a ball to the deepest part of the park, straightaway center. The third-base coach appeared to be waving him to try for a triple, but Parker held up at second base with a double. In the next at-bat, Mickey Shupin would single up the middle, and Chris Lane's pinpoint throw from center field would nail Parker trying to score from second. Rochelle caught the ball in front of the plate and made a diving tag on Parker to the left of home plate.
These two teams will meet again on both Saturday (2:00) and Sunday (Noon).
