North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Rallies Past UNC-Greensboro, 4-2
4/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 6, 2001) -- NC State averted a shutout with a four-run eighth inning, and three Wolfpack pitchers combined on a six-hitter as the Pack downed UNC-Greensboro 4-2 Friday night at Doak Field.
NC State won its third game in a row and improved to 17-15 on the season. UNCG, which had a five-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday at Wake Forest, fell to 17-14.
The game began as a pitcher's duel between starters Daniel Caldwell of NC State and Everett Hancock of UNCG, but neither figured in the decision. Freshman lefthander David Hicks (1-0) picked up the win with a perfect eighth inning. Mike Sollie worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his second save of the season. Spartans reliever Ted Toler (4-2) took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits and a walk in one inning of work.
UNCG took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, and could have scored more except for some shoddy baserunning. Chad Hayes led off with a single, and Shane Schumaker followed with a double down the left-field line. Hayes was out trying to score all the way from first on the play. Schumaker took third on the throw to the plate and scored on Nick Lockhart's sacrifice fly to left field.
Lockhart made it 2-0 in the top of the sixth with a solo home run to left, his third homer of the season, but the Spartans ran themselves out of a bigger inning again when Schumaker was caught stealing third base, one pitch prior to Lockhart's bomb.
Other than those two runs, Caldwell pitched a gem. He retired 10 of the first 11 men he faced, tied a career high with eight strikeouts, and wound up allowing just the two runs on six hits and a walk in seven strong innings.
While UNCG and Lockhart managed to ding Caldwell for a pair of runs, Hancock bobbed and weaved his way into the bottom of the seventh with a shutout. He allowed eight hits, walked one and struck out two in 6 1/3 innings. The Wolfpack put its leadoff hitter on base in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth but could not score, stranding nine runners through six innings. Hancock left five NC State runners stranded in scoring position.
When Sean Walsh led off the seventh with a single to center and Brian Wright lined out sharply to center field, Spartans coach Mike Gaski went to his bullpen for Toler, who retired Colt Morton and Jamey Shearin to end the threat. He was not as fortunate in the eighth.
Justin Riley led off the bottom of the eighth with a single, his fourth leadoff hit of the game, and Joe Gaetti drilled a one-out double down the left-field line. Jeremy Dutton drew a walk to load the bases and chase Toler from the game. Pinch-hitter Matt Butler greeted reliever Taft Cable with a two-run single to left field, tying the game at 2-2. Sean Walsh promptly untied it with an RBI single through the left side, and the Pack made it 4-2 when Schumaker dropped Morton's pop-up in shallow right field.
