Dirtbags prove too much for UNC in first game of NCAA tournament

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Hitting, pitching, fielding and base running — these are the main factors that determine whether a baseball team has won or lost when it walks off the field at the end of a game.

But sometimes the outcome of a game doesn’t solely rely on what goes on between the white lines that encompass the field of play. Sometimes there are other elements.

And in the North Carolina baseball team’s 6-1 loss to the Long Beach State Dirtbags in the opening game of the Gainesville Regional at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium at Perry Field, it was the Tar Heels’ inability to match the Dirtbags' energy that resulted in their downfall.

In their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2008, the Dirtbags looked to establish their energy level from the first pitch.

“The goal is to stay behind our guys and to watch the game, play the game and reward the guys and keep them as positive and as clear as possible,” said LBSU coach Troy Buckley.

In the early going, the Tar Heels matched that energy. Through three innings, sophomore ace Trent Thornton was dealing — striking out three and only allowing one man to reach via a walk.

But UNC was too anxious at the plate to capitalize off the hot start by Thornton — forcing LBSU starter Andrew Rohrbach to toss only 34 pitches through four innings.

And in the bottom of the fourth, the Dirtbags’ energy level peaked — resulting in an offensive explosion.

Big West Freshman of the Year Garrrett Hampson set the tone for the inning by beating out sophomore third baseman Landon Lassiter’s throw to first base after Lassiter took too long to transfer the ball from his glove to his throwing hand. Hampson then advanced to second base on a wild pitch and third on a ground out to first.

In position to take the lead, the players in the LBSU dugout stood behind their teammates as the next six batters reached against Thornton and reliever Trevor Kelley to give the team a 6-0 lead.

“They took some good at-bats that inning and were able string some hits together and get some base runners,” said Tar Heels senior Tom Zengel. “I think they had a good approach that inning from almost every hitter in their lineup — just moving the ball, they found some holes and hit some balls hard.”

With the Tar Heels facing a large deficit and their starter out of the game, they needed to match the energy of the Dirtbags in order to make a comeback.

“That’s an individual thing — you’ve just got to fight from within,” said coach Mike Fox. “Just got to try to keep playing and hope you string some together, they’ll make a mistake or whatever and you can cut the lead in half, just keep chipping away.”

But that was a task easier said than done against Rohrbach, who had thrown only four innings in junior college in 2013.

With his teammates and a large lead supporting him, the righty settled in and allowed only four hits over his next four innings of work and no UNC runner to advance past second base — deflating the Tar Heels.

Rohrabch said the encouragement he received from his teammates pushed him to perform his best on the mound.

“Our guys are behind every single pitch — they’re present for every pitch, whether its offense or defense, and you know that,” Rohrbach said. “So you know you can go out there and give your best stuff and everybody’s going to be behind you.”

And entering the ninth, the LBSU starter still stood on the mound — having thrown only 87 pitches.

Junior Michael Russell tried to ignite a spark in the Tar Heels with a leadoff double off the wall in left field, and Lassiter drove him in for the team’s lone run. But it was too late.

LBSU reliever Ty Provencher came in for Rohrbach after Lassiter’s single and shut the door on the Tar Heels.

Rohrbach finished the game without walking any batters over his 8.1 innings of work, and his ability to come after hitters resulted in UNC’s loss.

“He just pounded the strike zone and went right at us,” Lassiter said. “Unfortunately, we just came up a bit short.”

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.