North Carolina State University Athletics
Butler, Walsh Lead Wolfpack Past The Citadel, 13-4
2/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Matt Butler doubled and tripled and drove in two runs, and Sean Walsh drove in three runs with a pair of singles as NC State hammered out 16 hits and routed The Citadel, 13-4, on Saturday at Riley Park in the second round of The Citadel Invitational Shootout.
Lefthander Dan D'Amato was the beneficiary of the Pack's offensive outburst, earning his first win of the season with 5 1/3 solid innings of work. D'Amato allowed four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings to improve to 1-0 on the season. He walked one and struck out four. T.A. Fulmer (0-2) started and took the loss for The Citadel.
NC State improved to 3-2 with the win, while The Citadel fell to 4-4 with the loss.
The Wolfpack, which came into the game struggling offensively, swung the bats well from the outset, taking the lead for keeps in the top of the second inning. Mike Prochaska beat out a one-out grounder to third base for a single and scored all the way from first on Butler's two-out opposite-field double down the right-field line.
The Pack added another run in the top of the third. Jeremy Dutton ripped a one-out double off the wall in left-center field, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Brian Wright's RBI single through the right side of the infield to make it 2-0.
NC State knocked Fulmer out of the game with three runs in the top of the fifth. Adam Miller was hit by a pitch with one out and Wright drew a walk. Walsh followed with a single to left field to drive in Miller and make it 3-0.
That was all for Fulmer. Bulldogs coach Freddie Jordan brought lefthander T.W. Mincey out of the bullpen to face Prochaska, who foiled the strategy by lining a first-pitch double into the left-center-field gap, driving in both runners and giving the Pack a 5-0 lead. Prochaska was gunned down trying to stretch the double into a triple.
D'Amato, meanwhile, was turning in a strong, workmanlike performance. He allowed just one baserunner to reach scoring position through four innings before running into trouble when The Citadel scratched for two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Jason Randall singled up the middle and took second on an error. David Griffin bunted Randall to third, and Mandy Fernandez broke up D'Amato's shutout with an RBI grounder to second base. Orlando Garcia then doubled to left-center and scored on Andy Phillips' line single to right, cutting the lead to 5-2 through five innings.
The Wolfpack struck back immediately in the top of the sixth. Butler stroked a leadoff single and went to second on a groundout. Joe Gaetti drew a one-out walk, and Butler took third base when ball four got past the catcher for a wild pitch. Dutton beat out a squeeze bunt for an RBI single to make it 6-2 and drive Mincey out of the game.
Matt Hamer relieved Mincey and pitched out of further trouble, and the Bulldogs finally drove D'Amato to the showers in the bottom of the sixth when Dallas McPherson led off with a double, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Stuart Jordan's sharp single to left field. Ryan Combs relieved D'Amato and worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings, but not before Jordan stole second, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Randall's grounder to third. That pulled The Citadel to within two at 6-4 through six innings.
The Wolfpack got back in business in the top of the eighth and broke the game open. Colt Morton led off and reached on an error. Butler went the opposite way again, this time legging out an RBI triple to score Morton, and David Hicks singled to right to drive in Butler, giving NC State an 8-4 lead. Gaetti singled up the middle to put runners on first and second with none out, knocking Hamer out of the game.
John Pollock relieved for The Citadel, and Jeremy Dutton was safe at first when his sacrifice bunt was misplayed for an error, loading the bases, still with none out. Adam Miller drove in Hicks with a sacrifice fly, and Wright's grounder to second base moved Dutton and Gaetti to second and third. Walsh capped the five-run rally with a single up the middle that drove in both runners and gave the Wolfpack a seven-run lead at 11-4.
The Pack added icing to the cake in the top of the ninth. Butler reached on a force play, and Hicks singled. Gaetti drove in both runners with a double that one-hopped the wall in right-center field, making the final score 13-4.
Mike Sollie worked a scoreless ninth inning for NC State.
The Wolfpack will conclude its stay in The Citadel Invitational Shootout vs. George Mason on Saunday at 1:30 p.m. Corey Mattison will start for the Pack.
