Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Charlotte
Indiana Suffers Heart-Breaking Loss in Wild Affair at Charlotte
2/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 26, 2006
Box Score
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Despite erasing two-, three- and four-run deficits, the Indiana baseball team suffered a heart-breaking defeat to Charlotte, 11-10, in 14 innings at Tom & Lib Philips Field on Feb. 26. The Hoosiers closed out the three-game series 0-3, while the 49ers improved to 7-2 overall and 7-1 at home this season.
Following five scoreless innings of action, Charlotte catcher Kris Rochelle delivered a two-out, bases-loaded single off reliever David Trager (0-1) to drive home third baseman Aaron Bray with the game-winning run.
The game took a remarkable four hours and 40 minutes, and IU went through all its position players as well as using pitchers Doug Fleenor, Josh Lewis and Chris Hynes in the outfield. It was Indiana's longest game since a 13-12, 14-inning loss to Northern Iowa on March 15, 1998, and the second-longest game in school history behind a 10-9, 15-inning defeat to Santa Clara on March 18, 1991.
Trager was remarkable in relief, shutting down the Charlotte attack over 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander held the 49ers to one run on four hits to go along with a pair of strikeouts.
Junior Michael Nilles led a 18-hit attack, going 3-for-6 with two RBI and one run, while freshman outfielder Andrew Means (3-for-6) and senior designated hitter Zach Boswell (2-for-5) each added multiple hits games to go along with two RBI and two runs each.
After scoring three in the fifth and four in the sixth, IU grabbed its first lead, 10-9, of the afternoon in the seventh. Charlotte reliever Kyle Pfirrman hit Means with a pitch to set up a wild sequence. Freshman catcher Billy O'Conner hit a chopper to shortstop Mike Ambrose, who bobbled the ball and threw it wildly to first for a costly two-error miscue.
As catcher Kris Rochelle backed up first base, the ball caromed off the fence and Means raced all the way around from first to touch an unguarded home plate with the go-ahead run.
With two down in the bottom of the seventh, Means temporarily saved the game with his glove. Charlotte second baseman Cory Lane stood on second when third baseman Aaron Bray stroked a sinking liner into right. Means raced in and made a diving back-handed stab to thwart the threat and maintain the one-run Hoosier lead.
Southpaw Brad Davidson pitched well in relief, setting down seven of the first eight batters he faced until Ambrose atoned for his fielding mishap. Leading off the eighth, Ambrose, who hit for the cycle, crushed a long home run to left field to square the game at 10-10. In total, Davidson went 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball, holding the 49ers to five hits and one walk.
The 49ers advanced the potential game-winning run to third as Bray stood at the plate with two down in the ninth. This time, Davidson forced Bray to pop up weakly to sophomore shortstop Tad Reida to move the game into extra innings.
Charlotte again threatened in the 10th and 11th only to come up short on both occasions. After putting its first two runners on in both frames, Trager retired the final three batters in order both innings. The 49ers scratched runners to second and third in the 11th, but Trager got Ambrose to fly out to freshman center fielder Chris Hervey to move the game to the 12th.
It was the Hoosiers turn to miss a golden opportunity in the top of the 12th. Reida ended the stanza standing on third base as right-handed reliever Erik Walker struck out sophomore catcher Jon Fixler to close out the rally.
In the bottom of the 12th, Means flashed some leather once again to preserve the tie. Pinch-runner Tyson Hibbs attempted to score on a base hit to left field by Rochelle with two outs, however, Means, who switched to left from right field before the at-bat, came up with a perfect one-hop strike to Fixler, who tagged Hibbs in plenty of time.
Charlotte, the preseason Atlantic 10 favorite, picked up its eighth and ninth unearned runs of the series against freshman right-hander Tyler Tufts in the first before Indiana bounced right back the next half inning. Means evened it up with a bases-loaded single through the left side to drive in Boswell and Nilles, who narrowly missed a home run with a blast off the left-field wall. Means collected his first hit and RBI this season off of right-hander Derek McDaid.
In the home half of the second, the 49ers regained their two-run edge following a wind-aided, two-out triple from Ambrose. Ambrose hit what appeared to be a routine fly ball to center, however, the wind got a hold of it and carried it just over Watson's glove into the right-center field alley for a 4-2 Charlotte lead.
The first four 49ers reached in the fourth and three of those runners scored as Charlotte opened up a 7-2 advantage. The lead could have been larger if not for a brilliant defensive effort from Watson, Haas and O'Conner. Watson chased down a double off the bat of designated hitter Chris Taylor, spun and threw a perfect relay to Haas. The North Olmsted, Ohio product tossed a strike to O'Conner, who blocked the plate and tagged out Ambrose to keep it a five-run deficit, which swung the momentum and helped spur the Hoosiers comeback.
IU chipped away at the Charlotte lead with three in the fifth inning off right-hander relieved Sam Pierce. A double by O'Conner and a bunt single from senior left fielder Jay Brant placed runners on the corners with no outs. Junior second baseman Keith Haas followed with a high fly to left fielder Alan Parks, who saw the ball hit off his glove after losing it in the sun, to plate O'Conner.
Brant trotted home on a groundout by Boswell, and Indiana claimed its final run of the inning on Reida's line drive single into center. Haas came in to make it 7-5 and gave Reida his first Hoosier RBI on his first IU hit.
Charlotte responded with a pair in the bottom of the fifth. Lane delivered a run-scoring groundout and Bray produced an RBI single for to extend the lead to 9-5.
The relentless Hoosiers battled back and caught the 49ers with a four-spot in the sixth, the fourth straight half inning the teams placed at least two tallies on the board. Means opened the rally doubling down the left-field line and crossed the plate following a Lane error. Boswell drove home his second run of the afternoon, finding a hole on the right side to bring home Haas. Nilles capped the rally by ripping an offering from Pfirrman into the left-field corner as Watson and Boswell raced home to knot things at 9-9.
Up next, Indiana heads to Coral Gables, Fla., for a three-game series against nationally-ranked Miami (Fla.) on Friday-Sunday, March 3-5. The Hoosiers and Hurricanes open the set under the lights at 7 p.m. EST on March 3 followed by a 7 p.m. showdown on March 4. First pitch for the series finale is scheduled at 1 p.m. on March 5.
Game Notes
-Freshman right-hander Tyler Tufts made his first collegiate start. The Sagamore Hills, Ohio native recorded his first strikeout against the third batter of the contest (shortstop Mike Ambrose).
-Sophomore Tad Reida started at shortstop for the first time this season. He appeared at third base in the season opener.
-Senior designated hitter Zach Boswell, junior first baseman Michael Nilles and junior third baseman Steve Head each collected their first hits of the season with singles in the second inning. Boswell also drove in his first run of the year in the fifth, while Nilles earned his first two RBI with a double in the sixth.
-Also in the second frame, freshman right fielder Andrew Means garnered his first collegiate hit and his first two RBI with a two-run single.
-The Hoosiers are in the midst of a seven-game road swing to open the 2006 campaign. IU visits Miami (Fla.) next weekend before facing Indiana State in Terre Haute on Tuesday, March 7. Indiana opens its home schedule against Xavier on Wednesday, March 8.
-This weekend marked the first time the Hoosiers opened a season with a road series since 2004.
-Reida netted his first hit and RBI as a Hoosier in the fifth.
-Sophomore right-hander Chris McCombs made his first appearance this season, relieving Tufts after the fourth inning. Sophomore southpaw Brad Davidson relieved McCombs with two out in the fifth and also appeared for the first time this year.
-Indiana used all of its position players and pitchers Doug Fleenor, Josh Lewis and Chris Hynes saw action in the outfield in extra innings.
-Freshman Chris Hervey collected his first career hit with a base knock in the 13th.
