We're back and online for the second half of our football/baseball twin bill, as the 20th ranked UNC Diamond Heels (21-11, 5-8 ACC) plays host to the rival NC State Wolfpack (20-11, 5-8 ACC) at Boshamer Stadium.First things first...if you get a chance to get to a field to watch college baseball and you are any kind of fan, do it. The atmosphere around the stadium for tonight's game is exciting. It's great fun for the entire family.
Carolina handed NC State a 14-7 loss in Chapel Hill last night in the first game of this weekend's three-game set. Right handed pitcher Patrick Johnson, a junior from St. Stephen's High School, takes the mound for the Heels tonight for manager Mike Fox.
NC State strikes first on a leadoff walk and a hit into the gap. A Carolina error in the outfield allowed the leadoff runner to come around to score and spot State the early 1-0 lead. Carolina quelled the threat with a couple of ground outs to close the frame, but a second runner scores in the process. Heels up to bat in the bottom of the first trailing 2-0.
Starting for the Wolfpack is Cory Mazzoni, who is 3-2 on the season with a 4.99 ERA. Also an interesting note: in attendance two boxes over from the press box is Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr.! Again it proves that you never know who you'll bump into at the ballpark.Update #1: The Heels top two hitters, Cavassini and Coyle, each strike out, but UNC rallies when catcher Wierzbicki singles and advances to second on a poor pick off attempt. The runner is stranded, however, when Brian Goodwin grounds to first to end the frame. One inning in the books: NCSU 2, UNC 0
Update #2: NC State loads the bases with nobody out in the top of the second, but Patrick Johnson induces a strike out, a popout and a ground out to second base to end the threat with no harm done. State leads 2-0 as we enter the bottom of the second inning. Carolina goes down in order in the bottom of the second. State still leads by a pair.
Update #3: State puts a runner on, but Johnson records back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning. Bottom of the third coming up and the Heels are down a pair.
Update #4: Carolina goes down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the third. We're a third of the way through and the Pack holds the 2-0 edge.
Update #5: Johnson again plays with fire on the mound, as he surrenders a base hit and a pair of walks, to load up the bases. State's Drew Poulk grounded to shortstop, but the force at second base was just an eyelash too late, allowing State's Tarran Senay to score from third to build the Wolfpack lead to 3-0. Johnson continued to struggle to find a groove, surrendering a walk to force in Matt Bergquist from third base, giving the Pack a 4-0 lead. Coach Mike Fox pulls Johnson with 86 pitches and trailing 4-0, opting to go with relief pitcher Chris Munnelly.
Another interesting piece of information. Carolina football quarterback Bryn Renner, who played in this afternoon's Blue/White game, is also a player on the UNC baseball roster. He quickly got changed and is now on the bench for baseball. More bad news for the Heels, as Munnelly gives up a grand slam to left field from the first batter he faces, State's Andrew Ciencin. State has put a six-spot in the frame to build an 8-0 bulge. Munnelly had allowed one of the 18 runners he has inherited to score this season before Ciencin's home run.
Following a walk and a hit batsman, Coach Fox opts to pull Munnelly in favor of lefty RC Orlan, who strikes out pinch hitter Russell Wilson to close out the inning. Tough frame for the Heels as they go to the bottom of the fourth trailing 8-0.
Update #6: A capacity crowd of 3,776 turned out to Boshamer Stadium to catch the Triangle rivalry matchup this evening.
In the bottom of the fourth the Heels have struck for three runs, all with two outs in the frame. Carolina cuts the lead to 8-3. A pair of doubles from Jesse Wierzbicki and Ben Bunting brought runs home as the Heels try to claw back into the game.
Update #7: Olman walks a pair of hitters and Manager Mike Fox makes another pitching change, this time calling on right handed pitcher Greg Holt. Holt induces a fielder's choice for a force out at third base for the first out of the inning. State's Drew Poulk walks to re-load the bases as State looks to blow this game open for good. Carolina gets a 3-6 force play but a runner scores from third to up the Wolfpack advantage to 9-3, with two outs in the inning. Holt induces a fly out to end the frame with just the one run given up. State leads Carolina 9-3 as we're halfway home from Boshamer Stadium!
Update #8: Heels go down in order in the fifth. Four innings to play and it's still a six-run bulge for the Pack.
Update #9: The Pack get the leadoff hitter on with a base hit, but the Heels work around the hit to leave the runner stranded at second base. NCSU leads 9-3 going to the bottom of the sixth.
Carolina picks up a run on a hit batsman and an RBI single from Dillon Hazelett. He and teammate Levi Michael made it to 2nd and 3rd with two outs, and a walk issued to Graepel loaded the bases for Stallings. Stallings draws a four-pitch walk, forcing in Michael from third base. NC State now leads by a score of 9-5 with two outs in the sixth. Wolfpack starter Mazzoni is pulled in favor of southpaw reliever Grant Sasser.
Sasser promptly walks Mike Cavasinni on four pitches to force in another UNC run, drawing the Heels to within 9-6. Coyle strikes out to end the inning, but the Heels are now within three runs going into the top of the 7th. Between innings UNC assistant Matt McCay was ejected by the umpire for arguing balls and strikes. According to the press box, each of the top three coaches on staff have been ejected from a game this season. Give McCay credit, as he got his money's worth in debating with the umpire before leaving the field.
Update #10: The first two hitters for the Heels strike out to start the bottom of the 7th, but an error on the second baseman put Levi Michael on first base. Hazelett flies out to left to end the threat, as the Pack maintain its three-run edge.
Update #11: Holt gets one out, but gives up a single and an RBI triple from State's Russell Wilson before Coach Fox again makes the slow walk to the mound to pull his pitcher. The skipper calls on Nate Striz to come on in relief.
Danny Canela pinch hits for State and slaps an RBI single to right, scoring Wilson to give the Pack an 11-6 lead. Leadoff hitter Kyle Wilson flies to center. With Poulk coming on to bat for State, Coach Fox trots back to the mound to replace Striz with southpaw reliever Zach Bernard. State's Dallas Poulk rudely welcomes Bernard with a base hit to left field. Again, Coach Fox wears out a path to the mound with the hook, bringing on reliever Cody Stiles, the seventh Tar Heel pitcher to take the mound tonight.
Stiles uncorks a wild pitch which allows a run to score, but strikes out the batter to close the inning. State gets three in the top of the 8th to extend its lead back to a half-dozen runs at 12-6.
Carolina's Mike Cavasinni and State's Kyle Wilson each entered tonight's contest with a 14-game hitting streak, but it appears both players will see their streaks snapped. Cavasinni walks in his last at-bat, but a flyout to center field strands him on base as the Pack takes a 12-6 lead to the top of the ninth inning.
Update #12: State threatens one last time in the top of the ninth with two runners on base. After a long battle, Wolfpack hitter Russell Wilson serves a base hit into right center field to score a 13th run for the contest. A wild pitch from Stiles allows another runner to score from third, as the Pack has continued to score runs when needed throughout the game. A ground out to short finally ends the top of the ninth, but the Heels have work to do as they trail 14-6 entering the bottom of the ninth.
Update #13: After a flyout to center field, UNC pinch hits with Bryn Renner, the player who started his afternoon on the football field as quarterback at the Blue/White game. Renner grounds out and the Heels are retired in order as the Pack defeats Carolina 14-6 to even the weekend series. Massey gets the save for State.
Thanks for reading and following along during this doubleheader afternoon!
