Pirates sink Tar Heels’ comeback in game

Wednesday, April 22 was shocking.

East Carolina just beat the top-ranked squad in the country — the North Carolina baseball team . It was the Tar Heels’ first loss in six games .

Players were shocked, enraged, dumbfounded.

Tuesday, April 22 was disappointing.

East Carolina just beat unranked North Carolina, kindly handing the Tar Heels their third loss in a four-game road series .

Players were disheartened, exhausted, sad.

Exactly five years separated Wednesday, April 22 and Tuesday, April 22, and exactly five years separated the Pirates’ last win against the Tar Heels .

But on Tuesday, April 22, 2014, one run, one swing of the bat, was all that separated the two teams as ECU edged out UNC 3-2 in Greenville.

“You know, I thought it was a close game and we did some things that kept us from winning throughout the game,” said freshman second baseman Wood Myers . “But we had a chance at the end.”

Sure, the Tar Heels had given up a run in the third and fallen behind early in a game for the sixth time in a row, but that was fine. Better to be clawing back than staving off a comeback.

“It keeps you in the game and playing hard and trying to make something happen,” Myers said. “Whereas if you were up 10 runs you’re kind of laid-back. It keeps you on edge and keeps you hungry.”

Myers was hungry in the ninth. His team was down two runs on the road. After Tom Zengel grounded out to first to lead off the inning, Zach Daly reached on an error and Michael Russell extended his hitting streak to a lucky 13 games with a single to left .

One out. Runners on first and second. Down by two.

It was a situation players dream of in their backyards as kids. But this wasn’t Myers’ backyard. And it wasn’t a dream.

He took the first pitch — a ball. The second one wouldn’t do either and Myers quickly found himself up 2-0 .

The third pitch? Myers drove his heel into the ground and sent the ball right back up the middle. Daly was given the green light at third and wheeled his way home.

“We can win this thing,” Myers thought.

One out. Runners on first and second. Down by one.

“One more swing of the bat and we were right back in it,” Myers said.

But with the next swing of the bat, Joe Dudek flied out to right center. Three swings later and Skye Bolt had struck out. “We could win this,” became “We could have won that.”

Myers found out about the broken streak on the bus back to Chapel Hill. Five years, eight games, two bookend losses.

“That’s salt on an open wound right there.”

sports@dailytarheel.com