Northwood baseball rallies by Chapel Hill
Brodie Beasley doubled home Matt Oldham in a three-run sixth inning as Northwood’s baseball rallied from a 4-0 deficit to defeat Chapel Hill 6-5 on Friday night at Tigers Field.
Oldham jump started the rally when he tripled home Jake McNeil on a one-out line drive to right field. Beasley, who came on in relief in the fourth inning, scored the game-winning run off a bases-loaded walk drawn by Conner Leinbach.
The Tigers (3-2, 1-1 in the Big 8) were going for a sweep against the Chargers (4-2, 1-1) after a 3-2 victory in Pittsboro on Tuesday.
Chapel Hill scored four runs in the third inning, punctuated by a two-run single by Jackson Cabell, which plated Connor Stough and Anthony Castellano.
Trailing 6-4 in the bottom of the sixth, Chapel Hill moved within a run Garrett Liebe scored off an errant throw to third, leaving runners at second and third with no out. But Beasley struck out Blake Rasnake and Tyler Hansen in consecutive at-bats, and Nick Hebert grounded out to second.
The Tigers had another chance to tie in the seventh when Stough singled. Ben Kelley came on as a pinch runner, but Beasley struck out Castellano, promptly followed by Oldham throwing out Kelley on a strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play.
Turning point
Beasley’s double to right-center that gave Northwood a 5-4 lead off Chapel Hill reliever Tucker Gardner.
Three who mattered
Brodie Beasley, Northwood: Came on in relief of starter Trent Bagwell in the bottom of the fourth when Northwood trailed 4-2, earned the win and had the go-ahead double.
Jake McNeil, Northwood: Went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, including a key double in the fourth that gave the Chargers life after the Tigers bolted to a 4-0 lead.
Anthony Castellano, Chapel Hill: Tigers right fielder went 2-for-4 with a double.
They said it
“We were going to bunt Brodie. We really were. Brodie came up with one out in a 4-4 game. We were thinking ‘Let’s get something on the ground and score this run.’ Then they made a pitching change, which made us think Brodie should swing away. He liked the matchup and it paid off.” Northwood coach Rick Parks.
This story was originally published March 11, 2016 at 10:29 PM with the headline "Northwood baseball rallies by Chapel Hill."