Errors cost Chants game

For a team that was supposed to be loose and playing with nothing to lose, Coastal gave their game with North Carolina away in the first inning. Tyler Bortnik demonstrated how tight they were on the second ball hit, when the junior shortstop bobbled a routine ground ball. Tim Fedroff stepped in next and hit one again to Bortnik, and on a suspect call at first, the Tar Heels right fielder started the downfall of the Chanticleers. Instead of getting out of the inning two batters later. North Carolina’s Kyle Seager lined one off the wall in right, driving in the go ahead runs.

Coastal accounted for six errors, five from their middle infield that averaged .5 a game this season. Bobby Gagg accounted for the fifth error on a pitch out to a vacant first base.

After surrendering only one earned run through five innings of work, Gilmore pulled Gagg in favor of Joey Haug. North Carolina centerfielder Seth Williams would give the Tar Heels insurance with a solo home run in the fifth. Two batters later Kyle Shelton would add an RBI single on to the scoreboard scoring Ryan Greapel.

Coastal would give up their biggest inning of the game in the bottom of the seventh. UNC would bring three players home in the frame to give them a 9-1 advantage.

The Chanticleers would attempt to make an interesting contest once again in the top of the eighth. Forcing UNC Head Coach Mike Fox to go to his bullpen and relieve Alex White. CCU would get to the first of two relief efforts in the inning. Tommy Baldridge provided a RBI single, and Adam Rice would drive in two more runs. But Chance Gilmore would go down looking to end the Teal and Blacks rally.

Following the strikeout, the first base umpire who had already earned an unfavorable eye from the Chanticleer fans, saw fit to eject Gagg and Haug for taunting in the dugout.

When the dust settled, North Carolina walked away with 9-4 victory and a one game advantage in a best of three series.