Maybe it was the long game yesterday against East Carolina University. Maybe the Seahawks were already thinking about this weekend’s conference games against Hofstra. Or maybe it was the masses of fans wearing North Carolina State Wolfpack red shirts in the bleachers.

Whatever it was the reason, the UNC Wilmington baseball team did not show up Wednesday as it hosted NCSU (23-16) at Brooks Field. Currently ranked first in the CAA, the Seahawks played out of character and their record fell to 21-16 overall.

UNCW went through 10 pitchers, gave up 17 hits, and walked 11 batters in a 19-5 defeat, one night after surrendering 17 runs to ECU in a loss.

The last time the two teams faced, the Seahawks defeated the Wolfpack, 9-1. But things could not have changed more since then. The Wolfpack came into the game with a record of 23-16, and were coming off a shocking win against ACC rival, North Carolina.

For the second day in a row, the Seahawks came out flat, playing poor defensively and putting themselves in a 10-3 hole at the end of the second inning.

“We certainly gave up too many base runners early and they were able to take advantage of it,” coach Mark Scalf said.

Offensively, the Seahawks were lead by junior right fielder Andrew Cain who hit two homeruns, giving the team some of its only spirit of the night.

“It was just one of those nights were I felt like I was seeing the ball really well,” Cain said. “I was able to get a good ball to drive and put a good barrel on it.”

To Scalf, the best thing the team can do is “flush” the last two games and put them behind as they travel to New York to face Hofstra in a three-game series.

“We need to get back and basically eliminate this one and continue to believe in what we do and each other,” Scalf said. “It’s a whole new day on Friday with new guys on the mound.”

Pitchers Daniel Cropper, Blaze Tart and Tyler McSwain did not pitch in Wednesday’s game in order to be fresh for the weekend.

The Seahawks will look to them as well as the middle of their batting lineup of Hunter Ridge, Cain, and Thomas Pope to lead the team offensively as they enter the final stretch of the regular season.