North Carolina
Ball State
Tar Heels Rally Late to Top Ball State, 9-5
March 11, 2003 | Baseball
March 11, 2003
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -North Carolina (9-5) scored five runs in their last at-bat to defeat Ball State (5-6), 9-5 on Tuesday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels trailed 5-4 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, but the offense exploded for five runs, including a game-winning infield single by Wes Moyer. The Tar Heel bullpen was impressive also, holding the Cardinals to no runs over their final four at-bats.
all State jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. After two walks, Adam Metzler lined an RBI single to left and Kiel Holman followed with a double to left which brought Brad Snyder around to score.
With the score 3-1 in favor of the Cardinals in the top of the fifth, Ball State scored two more runs in the inning to extend their lead. Ben Schroeder led the inning off with a walk and Snyder followed with his second single of the day. After Carolina made a pitching change, Metzler and Holman again came through with RBI singles to right field.
Carolina came back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Justin Webb hit a double down the left field line and came around to score on an RBI single by Blair Waggett. Sean Farrell then stepped to the plate and hit a towering home run to left field, his second of the season.
The Tar Heels grabbed the lead with five runs in the bottom of the eighth. Sammy Hewitt ripped his third double of the season into left field, then scored with two outs as Ryan Blake lined a clutch game-tying single up the middle. Two batters later, pinch hitter Moyer put Carolina ahead for the first time all day with an RBI infield single. The next batter was Greg Mangum who crushed a three-run homer over the right field wall to put the game out of reach for Ball State. This was Mangum's first career home run as a Tar Heel.
The Tar Heels will host Liberty on Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium. Carolina is off on Thursday but returns to action this weekend for a three game set against the Monmouth Hawks beginning Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.
