North Carolina State University Athletics
Riley's Blast Lifts Combs, Wolfpack Past UNCW, 4-3
4/18/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Justin Riley’s two-run home run in the seventh inning broke up a 2-2 tie, and Ryan Combs pitched seven strong innings Tuesday night to lead NC State past UNC-Wilmington 4-3 in college baseball action at UNCW’s Brooks Field.
Combs (3-1) allowed just two runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out eight. UNCW reliever Fred Wray (0-2) faced just five batters in the bottom of the seventh, but was tagged for the loss after serving up Riley’s fourth long ball of the season.
Jeremy Dutton, coming off an 8-for-13 series this past weekend against Maryland, got the Pack off to a fast start with a leadoff home run in the top of the first inning. UNCW struck back with two in the bottom of the first before Combs could settle in and find a groove. Justin Wishon led off with a single up the middle and went to third on David McKenna’s double to right-center. Combs uncorked a a wild pitch to score one run, and Matt Wright’s sacrifice fly to deep center field scored McKenna to give the Seahawks a 2-1 lead after one inning. Combs allowed just six more baserunners the rest of the game, and only three of those reached scoring position.
The Wolfpack tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the top of the fourth. Jamey Shearin singled up the middle and came all the way around to score on Colt Morton’s double to right-center field. The inning short-circuited when Matt Butler lined into a double play.
From there, Meadows settled in and induced one groundball out after another. Following Morton’s double, Meadows retired eight of the final nine men he faced, and for the evening he retired 10 men on ground balls to just three on fly balls, two of which were soft line drives.
Wray, a converted catcher, relieved Meadows to start the top of the seventh, but was not nearly as effective. Butler, the first man Wray faced, greeted him with a bloop single to right field and went to second on Sean Walsh’s groundout. Riley followed with a towering homer to left field to give Combs and the Wolfpack a 4-2 lead. Wray lasted two more batters, but was lifted for Matt Carter after issuing a two-out walk to Adam Miller. Carter retired Dutton attempting to bunt for a hit, the first time in nine attempts this season that Dutton failed to reach safely on a non-sacrifice bunt.
After the shaky first inning, Combs was masterful, retiring 12 of the last 15 men he faced before giving way to the bullpen to start the eighth. Reliever David Hicks ran into trouble in the bottom of the eighth, hitting Kevin Hairr with one out and allowing a two-out infield single to Magnus Pilegard. Daniel Caldwell relieved Hicks and gave up an RBI single to David Ange, but retired Russ Simmerman on a two-hopper back to the mound.
Caldwell worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to preserve the4-3 victory and record his first save of the season.
