The outcome of a game can’t be attributed to one or two plays, but here’s three of the more important reason why the top-seeded North Carolina baseball team earned a close 6-5 win against South Carolina in game one of the Chapel Hill Super Regional.
1. Gamecock errors
South Carolina gave up just four earned runs in game one of the Chapel Hill Super Regional, but two Tar Heel runs on two Gamecock errors were enough to give the Tar Heels the victory.
“We can’t drop fly balls and miss cut-off men in the outfield. That led to two runs, and obviously we lost by one,” Gamecock coach Chad Holbrook said. “The game was there for us to win.
“We didn’t capitalize on those opportunities.”
2. UNC’s quick response to a quick start by SCAR
In the first inning, the Gamecocks came out strong, scoring two runs off three hits.
But the Tar Heels were poised to match South Carolina’s intensity out of the gate. Led by an RBI double from junior Colin Moran, the Tar Heels earned a run of their own and later received another run on a South Carolina error.
Freshman Skye Bolt was quick to attribute the entire team’s efforts for the speedy response to early deficits.
“(There’s) resiliency all the way through the lineup,” freshman Skye Bolt said. “Every guy goes up there looking to help us win the ball game and to do their part.”
3. Emanuel’s relief
The Tar Heels ace pitcher Kent Emanuel didn’t have one of his better starts Saturday. Allowing seven hits and four earned runs in 2.1 innings, Emanuel pitched fewer innings than he’s pitched all season.
When the ACC pitcher of the year was taken out, the Tar Heels were facing a 4-2 deficit, but UNC’s relief pitchers gave the team the edge it needed to get the win.
“We’ve been preparing our whole bullpen to come in late in the game,” freshman Trent Thornton said. “And most of the time, it’s been in close games, so we’ve had a lot of preparation.”
After Emanuel was taken out of the game, the Gamecocks scored just one run, as Chris Munnelly, Tate Parrish, Chris McCue and Thornton took turns facing the South Carolina lineup.
Three Top Performers
Colin Moran
After batting .222 in the NCAA Regional, junior Colin Moran came out strong with an RBI double in his first at-bat, and the success didn’t stop there, Moran batted 2-for-4 in the game and scored a run every time he earned a hit.
Trent Thornton
UNC’s freshman closer came up with a clutch performance against the Gamecocks after being inserted in the seventh inning. Facing 12 batters, Thornton struck out three batters and gave up just three hits and one run.
Skye Bolt
Much in the way that Moran has struggled lately, Bolt has struggled himself. After batting .250 in the NCAA regional and .261 in the ACC tournament, Bolt batted 2-for-5 in game one and – of course – came up with the walk-off single that won the game for the Tar Heels.
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