North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Ends Season With 12-10 Loss to Charlotte
6/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BY TIM PEELER
COLUMBIA, S.C. When NC State loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning against Charlotte Sunday night in third game of the day at the NCAA Columbia regional, Wolfpack coach Elliott Avent believed his team was about to set the tone for something special. Instead, the Pack left the three runners stranded along with seven more the rest of the game and left the door open for Charlotte to grab hold of the momentum. The 49ers did that in the top of the second inning, sending 10 batters to the plate in the top of the second inning. Catcher Kris Rochelle hit a three-run homer in the inning, followed by a solo shot by Chris Taylor, as Wolfpack freshman starter Jimmy Gillheeny lasted just one and a third innings.
“We got off to an unbelievable start, and I am really shocked that happened,” Wolfpack coach Elliott Avent said. “We had the bases loaded in the first and a pretty clutch hitter (junior Ryan Pond) up. “You think we are fixing to set the tone and all of a sudden we are down 7-0.”
The Wolfpack mounted a comeback thanks to home runs later in the game by Pond, senior catcher Caleb Mangum and junior designated hitter Mike Roskopf but fell short of overtaking the 49ers, losing 12-10 to end its 2007 season. It was a game in which no lead, no matter how large, was safe, as the two teams combined for 22 runs, 29 hits and six errors.
Charlotte (49-11) led by as much as 8-0 after adding an unearned run in the third, but the Wolfpack gradually cut into that lead starting with four runs in the third. Charlotte got two of those right back on Taylor’s second homer of the game. The Wolfpack (38-23) added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth on homers by Pond and Mangum.
“You get down 7-0 and battle like we did it ain’t enough, but it’s close,” Avent said. “The energy, the enthusiasm and the belief we had in our dugout after that seven-run explosion by Charlotte was great. It’s a lot more fun when you have that energy and belief. It’s the only way to live your life, and I hope our players take something from that.” The Pack loaded the bases in the sixth, bringing the tying run to the plate, but could not push across any runs against Charlotte freshman Bryan Hamilton, who entered the game with a streak of 15 1/3 scoreless innings.
That streak ended in the bottom of the eighth when Roskopf hit his second home run of the day, a high-flying three-run shot over the right field wall that brought home Marcus Jones and Ramon Corona and closed the score to 12-10. Roskopf also hit a home run in the Wolfpack’s 10-6 victory over Wofford in the regional’s first game of the day. For the Wolfpack, regular closer Eryk McConnell pitched the final seven innings, his longest outing of the season. However, the team’s leader in saves is a converted starter who was used to going deep into the game on the mound.
“Anytime you finish short of reaching your ultimate goal that’s going to the College World Series in Omaha then, yeah, it is somewhat of a disappointment, especially the way we were playing down the stretch,” Avent said. “We had some misfortunes that happen in baseball. “But with the heart and energy we played with, I don’t think I can call it a disappointment at this point. It sure is tough to be leaving here.”
Earlier in the day, the Wolfpack eliminated Wofford from the four-team regional with a 10-6 victory in which Clayton Shunick grabbed the win and Joey Cutler pitched two and two-thirds inning for his third save of the season. Both Mike Roskopf and Jeremy Synan hit home runs as the Pack pounded out 13 hits.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
