North Carolina State University Athletics
Miami Shuts Out NC State Baseball, 12-0
4/21/2000 12:00:00 AM | Pack Athletics
Miami improved to 27-13-1 with the victory, while NC State dropped to 24-20. Gil (7-1) was masterful for Miami, allowing no runs on four hits in seven innings to pick up the win. He walked one and struck out five. Sophomore righthander Ryan Combs (4-4) was roughed up for 10 runs on 10 hits in five innings to take the loss for NC State. Combs walked four and struck out two. Three of the 10 runs he allowed were unearned.
The Hurricanes took control of the game right from the get-go with three runs in the top of the first inning. Mike Rodriguez led off with a bunt single and went to third when the throw to first base went into the right-field corner. Kevin Howard singled to drive in the first run of the inning, and then stole second. Manny Crespo and Javy Rodriguez stroked two-out RBI singles to make it 3-0.
The Canes added three more in the top of the third. Mike Rodriguez led off with a walk and Howard singled to put runners on first and second. Combs tried to pick Rodriguez off second and threw the ball into center field for an error, moving the runners to second and third. Danny Matienzo drove in the lead runner with an RBI groundout, and Lale Esquivel and Crespo walked to load the bases. A wild pitch moved each runner up a base to make it 5-0, and Javy Rodriguez singled to drive in a run and give the Hurricanes a 6-0 lead.
Mike Rodriguez drilled a one-out solo home run to right field in the top of the fourth, and with two outs, Matienzo reached on a two-base error and scored on Esquivel's single to right field, giving the Hurricanes an 8-0 lead. Esquivel was gunned down attempting to stretch his hit into a double to end the inning.
The Canes were at it again in the top of the sixth. Mike DiRosa led off and reached on an error, and Mike Rodriguez walked to put runners on first and second with none out. Howard doubled to deep center field to drive in DiRosa, and Crespo sent Rodriguez home with an RBI single, both runs in the inning being unearned, to give Miami a 10-0 lead.
Miami added single runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Rodriguez drove in Kevin Brown with a sacrifice fly in the eighth, and Matienzo singled in Marcus Nettles in the ninth.
Gil dominated the Wolfpack early, allowing just three hits through five innings, but the Pack did manage a couple of late-inning scoring threats. Mike Prochaska doubled with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, extending his hitting streak to 15 games, his second 15-game streak of the season. Jeremy Dutton walked to put runners on second and third, but Gil got out of the inning with a strikeout for the third out.
The Pack threatened again in the bottom of the eighth when Josh Schmitt led off with a walk and Craig Lee singled, but reliever Alex Prendes got out of the inning with a force play and a double-play grounder.
