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.