DH Chris Taylor had three hits and scorfed three runs in the 8-5 win over Winthrop. |
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Charlotte Wins Back and Forth Game Over Winthrop
April 3, 2007
Charlotte, N.C. - The Charlotte 49ers scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh and two more in the eighth and staved off a late Winthrop rally to defeat the Eagles in a back and forth game at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium 8-5 on Tuesday night in non-conference baseball action. Charlotte improves to a school-record 23-5, including a 16-1 home record, dropping Winthrop to 19-15 on the season. Charlotte hit two triples in the game, giving the team 21 on the season, just eight shy of the team record only halfway through the season.
Winthrop took three one-run leads in the game, only to have Charlotte tie the game with a run to answer each time. Winthrop's Tommy Lentz hit a solo home run to left in the second inning to take a 2-1 lead, but Charlotte pushed across Kris Rochelle thanks to an RBI triple by Brad McElroy, who extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a pair of hits.
In the seventh, leadoff man Chris Lane reached on a ground ball error to start the inning, and Charlotte was able to push across three runs on three hits, including a pair of doubles, by Rochelle and shortstop Shayne Moody. First baseman Alex Burt knocked in two with a single to center in the inning.
Winthrop pulled to within one with a pair of runs in the eighth on three hits to start the inning, including an RBI double by third baseman Bryan Henderson. Shortstop Kevin Nolan hit a sacrifice fly to score Henderson for the second run and make the game 6-5.
Charlotte plated two more in the bottom of the eighth. Rochelle walked with one out and was driven home by an RBI triple from designated hitter Chris Taylor, who later scored another unearned run on a passed ball.
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Charlotte reliever Kyle Pfirrman got the win for Charlotte (3-1). He struck out a batter to end the top of the seventh and was of record when Charlotte broke the tie in that inning. Reliever Bryan Hamilton got his second save of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth.
Winthrop reliever Ryan Mullins was the hard-luck loser of the contest (4-4). Only one of his four runs allowed was earned in two innings of work.
Taylor was three-for-four, driving in two and scoring three runs. Rochelle reached all five times and scored four runs for Charlotte. He was three-for-four on the night.
Lentz was two-for-three, scoring twice.
Both Winthrop and Charlotte received votes in this week's USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches' Poll.
The 49ers will play host to Atlantic 10 foe Saint Joseph's for a Thursday-Saturday series for Easter weekend. Thursday's first-pitch time is scheduled for 6 p.m.
