Outfielder Alan Parks went 3-for-3 at Wake Forest Wednesday. |
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Charlotte Blasts 20 Hits, Loses Late at Wake Forest
March 12, 2008
Winston-Salem, N.C. - The Charlotte 49ers set a season high with 20 hits Wednesday afternoon, but Wake Forest scored seven runs in the bottom of the eighth to overtake them 15-12 at Gene Hooks Stadium in Winston-Salem in college baseball action. Charlotte led 10-1 halfway through the game, only to see the Demon Deacons outscore the Niners 14-2 in the last half of the contest.
It was the third straight time that WFU has beaten Charlotte in its final at-bat, winning in extra innings in both games last season. Charlotte snaps its eight-game winning streak and sits at 11-2 on the season. Wake Forest improves to 9-5.
The two teams combined for 27 runs, 36 hits and left 21 runners on base and each team had a seven-run inning.
Charlotte got on the board first in the second when junior Alan Parks scored on a wild pitch after doubling to start the inning. Charlotte put up two more runs in the third on consecutive RBI hits by Brad McElroy and Chris Taylor.
After a Wake Forest run in the third, Charlotte had its seven-run outburst in the fourth, on eight hits, a walk and a sacrifice fly.
The Deacons then started a scoring run, putting up three in the fifth and sixth and adding a run in the seventh to close to within three at 11-8. Charlotte scored an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI single by senior Alex Burt to get the lead back to four.
Wake then put together its seven-run barrage to overtake Charlotte. With two outs in the inning, Charlotte gave up five hits and two walks.
In the ninth, Charlotte got two runners on with one out, but failed to score them against closer Brad Kledzik.
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Parks, McElroy and Chris Taylor had three hits each for Charlotte. Five more Niners had two hits each. Seven Charlotte batters had at least one RBI, with four logging the team-high of two each.
Eleven pitchers threw for the two teams, with only Wake starter Joel Ernst lasting three innings in the contest. Wake reliever Alex Wiesner got the win (1-0). He gave up two hits, but got two outs in the eighth before his team went ahead in the bottom half. Wake closer Kledzik allowed a walk and a hit, but managed a scoreless ninth to get the save, his third of the season.
Charlotte sophomore Bryan Hamilton took his first loss of the season (1-1). He allowed four hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning, with one walk and one strikeout.
Charlotte hosts Stony Brook in a pair of doubleheaders this weekend. Both pairs of games start at noon on Saturday and Sunday at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium, where the Niners are unbeaten in nine games this season.
