Quite frankly, UNC-Greensboro is an average team at best. Their pitchers, including their closer, were nothing special. The game was lost after we fell behind early and our bats stranded runners in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings and went down 1-2-3 in the eighth. The energy was non-existant in the dugout until the ninth inning when we looked to show UNCG who the better team was. However, our five runs were not enough to force extra innings and we lost 9-7. Today, we square off against #14 North Carolina. As Coach Blankmeyer said after last night's game, "If you guys play like you did today, you'll get your asses kicked." Sitting on the bus on the way to Chapel Hill, the team looks focused and ready to bounce back.
Below is my recap of the UNCG game plus some pics I snapped.
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Ninth Inning Push Not Enough for St. John’s, lose to UNC-Greensboro, 9-7
Down 9-2 in the ninth inning, St. John’s rallies for five runs, but falls short of victory
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Red Storm fell behind early and was forced to play catch up after UNC-Greensboro scored three runs in the second inning and continued to tack on runs over the course of the game. Starting pitcher Jake Woodward (0-1) gave up four earned runs and lasted just 2.0 innings. Miguel Valcarcel and Anthony Cervone came on in relief but could not keep the Spartans from adding to their lead. Joe Panik reached base four times, going 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. Both Sean O’Hare and Jeremy Baltz had RBI base hits during the Red Storm’s ninth inning rally. O’Hare was 2-for-5 and Baltz was 1-for-2 with three walks and a double, the only extra base hit of the game for St. John’s (5-5). Spartans reliever Dylan Hathcock (1-0) pitched 2.0 innings of scoreless ball and picked up the win after starting pitcher Jonathon Jones lasted just 3.0 innings. Zach Furl picked up his second save of the season for UNCG (7-5). Drew Gehringer reached base in every one of his plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with a walk, three RBI, three runs scored, and a double.
After allowing a single and a walk, Woodward allowed two Spartans to reach scoring position in the bottom of the first, but was able to induce a groundout to end the threat.
St. John’s loaded the bases in the second inning on walks drawn by Baltz, Matt Wessinger, and Kevin Grove, but Robert Case hit into a fielder’s choice to strand the three base runners.
UNCG drew first blood in the bottom of the frame. Woodward allowed two singles to begin the inning and a double by Gehringer to clear the bases, giving the Spartans their first two runs of the game. Another double, this one by Chris Barker, plated Gehringer. A fly out stranded Barker, but UNCG had a 3-0 lead going into the third inning.
The Red Storm was able to get one of those runs back in the following inning. Leadoff man Jimmy Brennan singled to begin the top of the third and was moved to second base on a groundout to the pitcher. Panik promptly singled to right field to give St. John’s its first run of the game.
The Spartans, however, answered right back with two more runs. After Woodward walked the inning’s leadoff hitter, Valcarcel was brought in to pitch. Valcarcel walked his first hitter and then gave up a bunt-single to load the bases. A sac-fly by Ray Crawford and another base hit by Gehringer gave UNCG a 5-1 lead.
With UNCG’s starting pitcher out of the game, Baltz worked a leadoff walk off of reliever Greg Smith to begin the fourth inning. Baltz was subsequently taken off the base paths when Wessinger hit into a fielder’s choice, but Wessinger stole second and then third to give the Red Storm a runner in scoring position. Grove’s sac fly to right field plated Wessinger and gave St. John’s its second run of the game.
Valcarcel retired the Spartans 1-2-3 in the fourth inning, but ran into trouble in the fifth. After beaning Crawford and yielding another single to Gehringer, Cole Harrison lined a ball off of first baseman Paul Karmas’ glove which then ricocheted into right field and was misplayed by right fielder Pat Talbut. Both Crawford and Gehringer scored and Harrison moved into second on the error by Talbut. Valcarcel was then lifted in favor of Cervone, who induced a fly out to end the inning.
St. John’s stranded two runners in the fifth inning, one in the sixth, and another in the seventh thanks to the efforts of relief pitchers Smith and Hathcock.
The Spartans tacked on two more runs to their lead in the bottom of the seventh. After Crawford singled to lead off the inning and Gehringer drew a walk, a sac bunt put both men in scoring position. Cervone then let loose a wild pitch to plate Crawford and move Gehringer over to third. A single by Eric Brindle scored Gehringer and gave UNCG a 9-2 lead.
Down seven runs, the Red Storm offense looked to rally in the top of the eighth. Brennan led off with a walk and advanced to second on a single by Panik -- his third of the game. Frankie Schwindel then singled through the right side of the infield, bringing Brennan around to score and moving Panik over to second. Another single through the right side, this one by O’Hare plated Panik and moved Schwindel into scoring position. Furl, the Spartan closer, was then brought in to pitch. Baltz promptly greeted him with a double down the left field line, driving in Schwindel and moving O’Hare over to third base. After working the count full, Lincoln Sanborn drew a walk to give St. John’s runners on the corners with one out. With two strikes, Rowan Wick then hit a line drive past the outstretched first baseman and into right field, scoring both Baltz and O’Hare. Trailing UNCG, 9-7, with one out, Josh Daniel hit a hard groundball right at the third baseman, who turned a 5-4-3 double play to end the rally.
St. John’s takes on North Carolina on Mar 9 at 1 p.m. in Chapel Hill, N.C.
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