The Niners struggled at the plate. Charlotte batted just .186 this weekend. Photo by Chris Crews.
The Charlotte 49ers and Akron Zips squared off in a rubber match on Sunday afternoon after splitting a pair of games in Saturday’s season-opening double header. Charlotte (1-2) lost two of three over the weekend and dropped the series deciding game 5-4 in a back-and-forth thriller.
“We didn’t play very well today. We’ve got to learn what it takes to beat good teams like this,” said Charlotte head coach Loren Hibbs after the game.
“We made several miscues defensively that we’re going to have to get cleaned up. We’ve got to get better.”
True freshman Josh Maciejewski got the start on the mound for the 49ers and showed the early game jitters that one would expect from a player making his collegiate debut. The lefty walked the first batter of the game and then immediately uncorked a wild pitch, allowing him to advance into scoring position. Following a sacrifice bunt, Maciejewski was called for a balk and the Zips jumped on top for an early 1-0 lead. One more run crossed the plate courtesy of an RBI single that put the 49ers in a 2-0 hole, but the freshman was able to settle down and limit the damage to just two runs in the inning.
Facing an early deficit, the Niners bats came to life for the first time all weekend in the bottom of the first frame. Derek Gallello got things started with a lead off single and later scored from third thanks to an error from the Akron shortstop. True freshman Brett Netzer stepped to the plate next and tied the game at 2-2 with an RBI single, the first of his career. Another miscue in the field from the Zips put the 49ers on top as Logan Sherer scored on a passed ball to give Charlotte a 3-2 lead after an action-packed first inning.
Maciejewski found a rhythm after his early struggles and departed after four solid innings of work with his team still clinging to a one-run lead. Maciejewski tossed 65 pitches, allowing just three hits and the two early runs while striking out a pair of Zips batters.
The 49ers doubled their lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning when designated hitter Eddie Hull ripped an RBI single down the first base line, scoring Brad Elwood from second base. Charlotte had an opportunity to tack on another insurance run, but shortstop Luke Gibbs grounded out with a runner in scoring position to end the inning.
The Niners got a few solid innings out of their middle relievers who preserved the lead by working out of a pair of bases loaded jams in the fifth and seventh innings. True freshman Trevor Gay made his first appearance on the mound in the top of the seventh inning with the bags full and just one out. Gay showed tremendous poise and induced a crucial 6-4-3 double play ball on just his second pitch to get his team back in the dugout.
Charlotte entered the top of the ninth still holding a 4-2 advantage with Gay on the rubber attempting to close the game and clinch the opening series. The freshman promptly walked the first batter of the frame and was then pulled after hitting a batter to load the bases for the third time on the afternoon.
Hibbs elected to move Sherer from the field to the mound with the game hanging in the balance. Sherer recorded an emphatic strikeout for the first out of the inning, but then Akron shortstop Dom Iero lifted a towering sacrifice fly to the warning track. An arid throw from the outfield allowed two runs to score on the play and deadlocked the game at four runs apiece. The Zips scored the winning run on Brian Lees’ RBI single to center field and Charlotte went down in order in the bottom half of the ninth, losing the game in gut-wrenching fashion.
“I thought we had the right guy out there on the mound at the end of the game, but obviously it didn’t work out well and they put a good swing on it,” said Hibbs.
The 49ers return to action on Wednesday afternoon when they hit the road for the first time this season to take on College of Charleston. First pitch for that contest is scheduled for 4 p.m.