Hanselman was 2-for-5, with a double, home run and five RBI. |
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Niners Break Open Game with Six-Run Eighth
April 20, 2005
Charlotte, N.C. - True freshman Garrett Hanselman, playing in just his fourth game this season, had a double, home run and five RBI to help lead the Charlotte 49ers past Wake Forest, 13-7, on Wednesday night at Tom & Lib Phillips Field.
Charlotte (23-14) exploded for six runs in the eighth to break open a 7-6 contest. The 49ers sent 10 men to the plate in the inning, collecting a single, double, triple, hit by pitch, and two walks. O'Brien Taylor's two-run triple ignited the flurry, while Hanselman drove in a pair with his double.
The eighth inning continues to be good to the 49ers. The team has scored 44 runs in the frame this season, the most of any inning, and outscore their opponents by 24 runs in the stanza.
The 49ers logged seven extra-base hits in the game, including two more triples to give the team a school-record 25 this season. Second baseman Cory Lane, who entered the day tied for second in the nation in triples per game, smacked his ninth of the season in the sixth inning. Taylor's eighth-inning gapper was the team record-breaker.
Wake Forest (17-22) opened up the game by taking a 4-0 lead and chasing 49er starter Spencer Steedley after just 1 2/3 innings. Ryder Mathias drove in his 30th run with a double in the first inning, while the Demon Deacons added three more runs in the second inning by sandwiching two singles around an Andy Goff double.
The 49ers answered with three runs apiece in the second and third innings to give them the lead for good. Freshman Chris Taylor led off the second with a single into right, and Mike Ambrose drew a one-out walk before Hanselman crushed a pitch over the left field fence for his first career home run.
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After Wake posted a run in the top of the third to stretch their lead to 5-3, Charlotte responded with three consecutive hits to open the bottom half of the frame. Freshman John Stallings doubled, O'Brien Taylor singled, and senior Adam Willard drove them both in with a double. He would score on a sacrifice fly to give the Niners a 6-5 edge.
The Niners would go ahead 7-5 in the fifth, when Alex Burt slammed his second career home run to left. Burt had entered the game as a replacement for Steedley in the designated hitter spot.
Wake Forest did close the gap to 7-6 in the top of the seventh, when designated hitter J.B. Tucker's ninth homer of the season cleared the centerfield wall.
Three batters later, reliever B.J. Hagen left the game in favor of closer Erik Walker, who entered with a man on second but got out of the inning unscathed. Hagen lasted five innings in relief, giving up just two runs on four hits while striking out five. He earned his first collegiate victory for the effort.
Despite the Niners' six-run inning, Walker earned his ninth save of the season to move within two of the school's single-season record. He did give up a home run in the ninth to Matt Miller, the first homer allowed by Walker this season.
Willard and O'Brien Taylor each finished the game 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI, while Burt led all players with three hits.
For Wake, Grant Achilles finished with two RBI, while Goff was the lone Demon Deacon to notch a pair of hits.
Winners of three straight, the 49ers play host to TCU this weekend. The Niners and Horned Frogs will tangle on Friday (6:00), Saturday (2:00) and Sunday (1:00). Admission to the games is $5 for adults, while UNC Charlotte students and youth (17 & under) are admitted free of charge.
