June 6, 2003
Recap?|? Box Score?|? Notes?|? Photo Gallery
North Carolina Head Coach Mike Fox
On today’s game: “Obviously it was disappointing to not win the game. We have to congratulate South Carolina on their victory. It was a strange game and one that had the look of a 12-10 type game early on. Credit David Marchbanks for settling down and throwing strikes. South Carolina got timely two-out hits today and the lefties in the bottom of their lineup got key hits for them. They made the plays they needed to make. We did not get the two-out hits when we needed them. Chris Hernandez threw strikes and kept us off balance late in the game. We have to regroup and get back at it tomorrow.”
On having runners on base in the 9th inning: “We had all the opportunity you could ask for. Jeremy Cleveland hit the ball hard but Brian Buscher was right there at third base and made a good play to get the out. We just did not hit the ball where they weren’t. We had our three and four hitters up with one out and a guy on base and sometimes that pays off for you.”
On facing elimination in Saturday’s game: “We have a good bunch of competitors. At this point we know where we stand. Our backs are against the wall. Our guys know that we are fighting to stay alive. There is only one way to respond to that and it is not tentatively.”
On South Carolina pitcher David Marchbanks: “I felt like our hitters were seeing the ball well, especially early. He is a competitor and after he got banged around early but he came back and showed his competitiveness. He settled down and made the pitches he needed to make.”
On pitcher Wes Moyer’s performance: “He struggled a bit early but was able to make good two-strike pitches. South Carolina was able to get hits off those so you have to credit them for doing that. He just missed location on a couple of those two-strike pitches and got hit. He was not hitting the spots as needed.”
On baseball being a game of inches: “There is no question about it being a game of inches. Whoever coined that phrase was exactly right. Games often come down to that.”
North Carolina OF Wes Moyer
On his homerun: “I’ve played against (David) Marchbanks before in the Coastal Plains League so I knew how he pitched. I was looking for a fastball on the first pitch and to my surprise he threw one.”
If UNC picked up a pattern on David Marchbanks: “We couldn’t pick up a pattern. He was working away and would come in when he got ahead in the count.”
On Chris Hernandez showing his emotions during the game: “I didn’t see that, but that kind of stuff doesn’t effect us as a whole.”
North Carolina 1B Jeremy Cleveland
Was there a contrast in pitching styles between David Marchbanks and Chris Hernandez? “Both of them threw their off speed pitches for strikes. Hernandez relied on his curveball more.”
North Carolina P Scott Senatore
Will he be ready to pitch tomorrow: “We’ll see, it will be one of those things were I’ll wake up and see if I can good. I think I should, there is no reason not to because it could be our last game of the season.”
South Carolina Head Coach Ray Tanner
“First of all that was one heck of a college baseball game. I can’t ever remember a game where I had to work that hard without personally having to put it between the lines. North Carolina can really swing the bat. Marchbanks got banged up early but like any experienced veteran he battle really hard. We put Hernandez in and he pitched one super game to help us win. It was truly a magnificent game.
“The game was a boxing match. They made plays and we made plays. The game was back and forth until the last out.”
On Marchbanks: “If you had anyone on the mound without the experience of David Marchbanks they wouldn’t have been able to do what he did. North Carolina has such good hitters that it would have been hard for anyone. He stayed out there and battle for us. We won with what has got us to the position that we are in today.”
On Hernandez’s performance: “He’s having fun. He made a contribution last year and this year I went to him when Aaron Rawl went down and told him he would have to carry an extra load. He said it would be his pleasure. He’s really excited right now, he just got drafted, he’s having a lot of fun enjoying the moment he’s in right now and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
On Michael Campbell’s play at home: “That was heck of a play. People remember the relay, but I knew that when the ball went in the corner it would be hard to play to come up with. Michael’s been working hard for us all year and today he came up with a big hit for us. It’s the kind of play you practice all year and sometimes it doesn’t work out like it’s supposed to, but today it did.”
On Game One: “It’s defiantly a situation you feel good in. It certainly helps with momentum. I’m not saying that North Carolina is not capable of coming back and winning on Saturday and Sunday, winning the first game doesn’t guarantee anything, but it is a situation you like to be in.”
South Carolina OF Michael Campbell
On 2-RBI single in the 4th inning: “He (Daniel Moore) kept the ball low, luckily I got the barrel on it, and hit it up the middle.”
On Outfield assist in 5th inning: “I knew it was hard hit, and luckily it went in my glove and I made a good throw to Justin (Harris).
South Carolina C Landon Powell
“It felt good to be out there playing in front of our fans.”
On Marchbanks: “He always gives you seven or eight strong innings, I never lost confidence in him.”
South Carolina P David Marchbanks
“Chris was unbelievable today. He came in and threw strikes and did his job.”
“If I don’t locate my pitches, I get into trouble.”
On two long foul balls: “That was a little scary, I was kind of willing it foul.”
