North Carolina State University Athletics
Blanton Goes The Distance to Down Seahawks, 4-3
4/3/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Raleigh, N.C. - The NC State baseball squad bounced back from a doubleheader loss to North Carolina to stop the UNC Wilmington Seahawks 4-3 behind the stellar pitching of senior righthander Jason Blanton. Blanton, 2-0 this season, pitched all nine innings for his first career complete game, allowing only three runs on nine hits, while striking out seven. This was the second time Blanton has beaten the Seahawks. Last season, the Titusville, FL native shutout UNC Wilmington over six innings while yielding only one hit.
NC State began the game on a run-scoring rocket to left center by left fielder Jamey Shearin off Seahawks starter Brian Whitaker (5-2). Shearin extended his hitting streak to nine games with the hit. The double scored Wolfpack left fielder Brian Wright to make the score 1-0. NC State would add a run in the frame with an RBI groundout by first baseman David Hicks to score NC State catcher Colt Morton.
UNC Wilmington dented the scoreboard in their half of the second on an RBI groundout of their own against Blanton. Blanton gave up the run to shortstop Daivd McKenna, scoring left fielder Justin Wishon to cut the lead to one. They would later tie the score in the top of the fourth with the third RBI groundout of the game by third baseman Pat Massey. Hemingway continued the streak with an infield single to score second baseman David Ange to take the lead 3-2.
Whitaker would tame the Wolfpack until the bottom of the fifth, when Wright grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, scoring second baseman Eric Mosley to tie the game at three. Mosley would later put the Wolfpack ahead to stay when he scored on Whitaker's second wild pitch of the game in the bottom of the seventh.
NC State is now 15-15 for the season and will play their fourth game in three days tomorrow evening at Doak Field against the Charlotte 49ers (13-13) at 7:00.
