Charlotte Baseball Star Alec DeMartino Sets A First-Time In Program History Record
Alec DeMartino made history on Tuesday night by becoming the first Charlotte Baseball player to drive in nine runs in a single game, in a 13-5 victory at Campbell.
DeMartino hit a grand slam and a three-run homer in the game and added RBIs from a fielder’s choice and a bases-loaded walk to bring home nine runs for the first time in program history. The previous record of eight RBIs was first set in 1985 by Alex Saylors and most recently in 2022 by Cam Fisher. DeMartino is the fourth player to record at least nine RBIs in a game this year, joining Tyce Armstrong at Baylor (12), Diego Cardenas at Abilene Christian (9), and Jack Cannon at Le Moyne (9).
Now winning 11 of its last 12 games, Charlotte (12-4) continues to match the 2011 team as the best start the 49ers have had on the diamond in the last 15 years.
DeMartino’s two home runs made him one of three Niners with multiple hits on the day, joining Spencer Nolan and Cale Stricklin. Dawson Bryce also drove in a run with a hit, as did Todd Hudson and Adrian Jimenez after he was hit by a pitch with the bases juiced.
Totaling 10 hits in the game, it’s the 11th time this season and 10th time in the last 11 games the Niners have recorded double-digit hits in a game this year – improving to 11-0 in such contests.
Bryce, Cody Gunderson, and Dylan Koontz all scored three times in the game, thanks in part to batting ahead of DeMartino in the order. DeMartino scored on his two long shots and Nolan had the other two runs scored from the leadoff spot.
Reigning American Conference Pitcher of the Year Chayse Oxborrow got the start on the bump for the Green and White and tossed the first three innings. He kept Campbell (7-8) off the board and struck out three batters. Adam Stanton followed for the next two innings and had a team-high four punchouts in the game before handing it off to Jaden Winter. Winter got one of his two outs on strikes, preceding two Ks in 2.1 innings by Joseph Taylor to earn his second win of the season. Ryan Combs finished the game out for the Niners and got two of the final three outs on strikes for a total of 12 strikeouts by the pitching staff – the 12th game this season Charlotte has struck out 10 or more.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Charlotte got the scoring started in the first with a little bit of small-ball before using a big fly to open it up. Nolan began the game by shooting one the other way for a single to right field. He then stole second and moved up to third on a wild pitch while Bryce walked. The Niners put on a double steal and it was successful, with Bryce safe at second and Nolan crossing the plate.
Gunderson was up during the double steal and he drew a walk before Koontz singled to right to load them up for DeMartino. He got a pitch he was looking for and didn’t miss, mashing it 437 feet over the wall in left center for his second home run of the year and the team’s third grand slam.
Oxborrow got a lineout to induce a double play to get out of a jam in the first and then stranded a runner at third in the second before his offense tacked on more runs in the third.
Facing a new arm out of the bullpen, a hit batter and a double gave the Niners a pair in scoring position. A walk taken by Koontz filled the open base at first and loaded them up, leading to an RBI-groundout by DeMartino. A single by Hudson loaded them up again, allowing Jimenez to bring a run home when he was hit with the bases full. The Niners still had the bases loaded after that, but couldn’t get anything else across as a 1-2-3 double play ended the inning.
Another big frame followed in the fourth, with four more runs coming home to get CLT into double digits. Nolan doubled to start the inning and then moved up to third on a groundout before scoring on a second bounceout in the stanza. A two-out walk and a dropped popup in right field allowed the inning to continue with a pair in scoring position for DeMartino. DeMartino made the Fighting Camels pay for their costly mistake with his second home run of the game, a three-run shot to almost the same location as his grand slam to make it 11-0.
Campbell broke up Charlotte’s shutout bid in the fourth, using three hits and a Niner error to get on the board. The Camels showed more fight in the sixth, plating four runs to cut the deficit to single digits after the Green and White scored a pair in the top half of the sixth, starting with a record-setting walk.
Bryce shot one through the right side to start the sixth, beating the shift Campbell put on, and then Gunderson reached on an error to put two runners aboard. Koontz was hit by a pitch to load them up for DeMartino, who needed only one more RBI in the game to set the program record for the most runs driven in during a single game.
Campbell brought in a new arm to face him and it didn’t seem like he wanted anything to do with DeMartino’s bat, issuing a walk to bring a run home and give DeMartino the record. Hudson was the next batter up and rolled over to second for an out, but brought the run home.
The Fighting Camels had their big inning in the home half of the sixth, scoring four runs to cut Charlotte’s lead to single digits and make the game press on.
That was it for the scoring, as both teams’ pitching staffs shut the door late in the game. Taylor stranded all the runners he let on after the sixth inning before giving way to Combs, who punctuated the game with back-to-back strikeouts for the final two outs.
UP NEXT
Charlotte returns home this weekend for a three-game set against St. John’s in the final non-conference weekend of the season. The weekend begins on Friday (March 13) at 6 p.m., followed by games on Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at noon.