University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Maryland
Terps Top Heels In The Ninth, 2-1
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
By: Travis R. Everette, Carolina Baseball
College Park, Maryland--Tar Heel reliever Derrick DePriest probably wishes he could undo two instances in which he threw the ball Friday afternoon in UNC's 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference loss to Maryland at Shipley Field. The first was an errant throw to second base in the seventh inning that went into center field and allowed the game-tying run to score. The second was the 2-0 pitch he threw to Casey Trout in the bottom of the ninth inning that went sailing over the left field wall just barely curving into fair territory. In that instant when third base umpire Randy Doolan decided fair instead of foul and gave the round tripper signal, the Tar Heels were humbled to a new level.
For the second straight ACC game, the Tar Heels threw away a great pitching performance by their starter and were beaten by errors and and a rally. Mike Bynum went six and 2/3 innings givingtup only four hits and walking two. The only run charged to Bynum was the unearned one DePriest allowed on his error after Bynum had left the game. DePriest pitched solidly in the seventh and eighth, but his error and the home run were the opportunities the Terrapins needed, and they seized both.
Once again, Carolina's offense was horrible. The only run scored by the Heels was in the first inning off of Ryan Earey's RBI single to left field. Carolina never threatened again until they loaded the bases with two out in the ninth inning when Ryan Mathews flew out to end the Tar Heel hopes. At one point, Terp starter Tom Curtiss retired sixteen straight Heels.
The loss has left UNC struggling to find a way to fight out of the ACC cellar. An early favorite to give Florida State a run for the regular season title, Carolina now must try to fight to get into the top half of the conference.
Carolina returns to the diamond on Saturday against Maryland in a doubleheader at 12:00. The change in schedule was made by Coach Fox and Coach Bradley of Maryland because of forecast heavy rain on Sunday.
