June 18, 2008

Quiet Tar Heel Bats

UNC can't get big hit in loss to Fresno State

By Ben Trittipoe

CollegeBaseballInsider.com

OMAHA, Neb. – On Sunday, North Carolina took advantage of 17 hits to score in five different innings in its opening-game victory over LSU in the 2008 College World Series.

Facing Fresno State on Tuesday, the Tar Heels were unable to put multiple scoring innings together and the result was a 5-3 loss to the Bulldogs and a return date with LSU in an elimination game Thursday.

“We couldn’t get the big hit, couldn’t get the two-out hit, which I think you have to on this stage to advance,” North Carolina head coach Mike Fox said. “My hat’s off to Fresno State. We’ll regroup and try again on Thursday.”

The Tar Heels scored each of their three runs in the top of the fourth inning, with Tim Fedroff, Kyle Seager and Chad Flack providing run-scoring hits to take a 3-1 lead. But UNC left two runners on base that inning and, after the Bulldogs scored once in the fourth and twice in the fifth to take a 4-3 lead, the Tar Heels stranded seven runners over the final five innings without scoring a run.

“We don’t play well when we’re behind,” Fox said. “I don’t know why. Tonight I thought we chased, we swung at a lot of balls. Credit the Fresno State pitchers. They pitched us off the plate a little bit and we pressed. We didn’t walk enough.

“The strike zone was small for both teams and I don’t think we took advantage of it offensively. Some of that’s good pitches and some of that is us trying too hard – pressing – our guys trying to make something happen by swinging. I thought we could have worked counts a litter bit better, maybe drawn a couple of walks.”