University of Missouri
North Carolina
Blake Single Downs Mizzou in Extra Innings, 4-3
5/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 30, 2003
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Ryan Blake hit an RBI single to center field in the bottom of the 11th Friday afternoon, sending No. 2 seed North Carolina to a 4-3 win over third-seeded Missouri in the opening game of the NCAA Starkville Regional.
Mizzou (35-21) will play an elimination game Saturday at 11 a.m. at Dudy Noble Field against No. 4 seed Middle Tennessee, who was a 10-4 loser to No. 1 seed and host Mississippi State Friday night. The Tarheels (40-21) advance to a winner's bracket game at 3 p.m. Saturday vs. the Bulldogs.
Blake's single followed a leadoff double to right-center by Sammy Hewitt, who scored the winning run, off junior righty Andy Shipman (Bellevue, Neb.). It was the first relief loss this season for Shipman (9-3), who was 8-0 to date coming out of the bullpen. North Carolina's Zack Zuercher (2-1) got the win by getting the last two outs in the top of the 11th.
"Obviously, it was a tough game to lose, but we battled," Head Coach Tim Jamieson said. "They made great plays defensively. If those balls fall in, we win the game. I thought both teams played well."
Shipman came on in the 10th in relief of sophomore RHP Justin James (Yukon, Okla.), who after never having thrown a complete game in his career has now gone nine innings in each of his last three starts. In the 10th, Shipman allowed a single through the left side to Mike Daniel, who was then sacrificed to second by Blair Waggett. Greg Mangum was intentionally walked, and Shipman then walked Chad Prosser to load the bases. Shipman then struck out Jeremy Cleveland, the ACC's leading hitter, and got Sean Farrell to fly out to center to end the inning.
Senior CF Jayce Tingler (Smithville, Mo.) started the game as he has so many times over his four years, walking against Tar Heel starter Daniel Moore. It was the 165th walk of his career, moving him past Matt Nivens (1994-97) for the all-time record at Mizzou. Later in the inning, junior DH Ryan Rallo (Chesterfield, Mo.) hit a two-out single up the middle to plate Tingler for the Tigers' 76th first-inning run of the season.
James got off to a somewhat rocky start, giving up a leadoff triple to Mangum down the first-base line before striking out Prosser. James, who displayed impressive velocity, then paid for it when Cleveland smashed a 3-2 fastball into the "Left-Field Lounge". Cleveland's 19th homer of the season gave Carolina a 2-1 lead.
James settled into a groove the next five innings, allowing just a fourth-inning single, a fifth-inning walk and a double down the left-field line in the sixth.
The Tigers tied the game in the fourth when Rallo and junior 1B Cody Ehlers (Stillwater, Okla.) hit back-to-back one-out singles. Junior C Brad Flanders (Smithville, Mo.) walked to load the bases, and freshman 3B Zane Taylor (Kirksville, Mo.) hit a liner to left to score Rallo on the sacrifice fly.
In the eighth, junior SS Ian Kinsler (Tucson, Ariz.) led off the inning with his sixth homer of the season, a 1-0 shot to left off left-handed reliever Scott Senatore. Kinsler's homer, the first by a Tiger other than Ehlers since Kinsler hit two at Oklahoma State on May 4, gave Mizzou a 3-2 lead.
Daniel tied the game for North Carolina in the bottom of the eighth, knocking a 3-2 pinch-hit homer down the right-field line to lead off the inning.
James threw into the ninth, when he got into his first jam since the first. Farrell hit a one-out double to right-center, and Hewitt was intentionally walked. Yet James got Ryan Blake to line out to Tingler in center, and Chris Ianetta hit into a fielder's choice at second to end the inning. James repeated his performance from his last two outings, allowing seven hits and three runs while striking out seven. He now has 92 K's on the season, moving him into eighth place on the Tigers' single-season record chart.
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