St. John’s falls below .500 with 8-1 loss to #14 North Carolina

North Carolina is clearly the best all-around team we have faced thus far. A combination of a lefty-loaded lineup, solid defense, and power arms is what makes the Tar Heels the #14 team in the nation. The most impressive thing about North Carolina, however, is their facility. Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium is equal to the quality of some of the nicest AAA ballparks out there. It is easily the nicest facilty I have ever visited with the purpose to work. Below is a picture of Bryson Field and a recap of our 8-1 loss to the Tar Heels. With another setback, we are now 2-3 on this Spring Break roadtrip and 5-6 on the season. Next up is a three-game set against Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, NC (another school in the middle-of-nowhere).

St. John’s falls below .500 with 8-1 loss to #14 North Carolina

The Red Storm grabbed an early lead in second inning, but the Tar Heels quickly responded, shutting out St. John’s over the remainder of the game.

            Chapel Hill, N.C. – North Carolina starting pitcher Cody Stiles tossed 7.0 innings of one-run ball and allowed just five base runners. Stiles retired twelve Red Storm batters in a row, a streak that lasted from the third inning up until the seventh. Paul Karmas scored the lone run for St. John’s on a single by Jeremy Baltz in the second inning. Karmas went 1-for-2 with two walks and a double and was the only hitter to reach base more than once for St. John’s (5-6). Kevin Kilpatrick (0-2) made his first start of the season, but did not fare well, getting tagged for seven runs on five hits and four walks in 3.1 innings of work. All but one batter in North Carolina’s starting lineup reached base. Jacob Stallings homered and contributed two RBI while Ben Bunting drove in three. Greg Holt started the game at DH and was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, but also came into pitch, tossing 0.2 scoreless innings.

            Kilpatrick looked sharp in the first inning, striking out Bunting and Levi Michael – North Carolina’s three-hitter – and induced an inning-ending fly out to strand a runner at first.

            Karmas led off the second inning with a double that struck the leftfield wall on-the-fly. He promptly came around to score the first run of the game on a single by Baltz through the right side. However, Stiles recovered immediately, inducing a fielder’s choice, a strike out, and a groundout to end the threat.

            After a lead-off walk in the bottom of the frame, a single to left field was misplayed by Baltz, putting two Tar Heels in scoring position. Holt then singled to tie the ballgame and give North Carolina runners on the corners. An ensuing walk loaded the bases and Bunting’s sac-fly to right field gave the Tar Heels the lead.

            St. John’s stranded a runner in the top of the third and Stallings made them pay for it by hitting a solo-home run during the next half inning.

            North Carolina tacked onto their lead with a four-run rally in the fourth inning. Kilpatrick plunked the lead-off hitter, gave up a single to Holt, and then hit another batter to load the bases. Bunting’s second sac-fly of the game and Tommy Coyle’s ensuing single gave the Tar Heels a 5-1 lead. After Kilpatrick walked the next batter to load the bases again, he was lifted in favor of Stephen Rivera. Rivera promptly induced a fly ball, but it was deep enough to score another run. Rivera then walked the bases full and let loose a wild pitch to allow another run. A groundout ended the inning, but not before the Tar Heels surmounted a 7-1 lead.

            North Carolina scored their eighth and final run of the game the next inning. With two outs in the fifth, pinch-hitter Seth Baldwin doubled down the right field line and then came around to score on a single by Bunting.

            St. John’s went down 1-2-3 in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, but a walk drawn by Karmas ended the drought. Sean O’Hare then hit a two-out single to move Karmas over to second, giving the Red Storm their first runner in scoring position since the second inning. However, Stiles induced a strikeout to end the threat.

            Relievers Eddie Medina and Matt Carasiti shutout the Tar Heels over the final three innings, but St. John’s could not put anyone in scoring position, managing only two base runners the rest of the way.

            St. John’s travels to Boiling Springs, N.C. to play Gardner-Webb in a three-game set beginning on Mar 11 at 6 p.m.




Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium