Wake Forest Downs NC State Baseball, 8-6

Saturday, March 23

Raleigh, N.C.

2:00 PM ET

NC State

18-6, 0

Wake Forest

18-4, 0

Wake Forest

NC State

3/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 23, 2002

Box Score

RALEIGH, N.C. - Shortstop Ben Ingold had four hits, scored the go-ahead run and drove in an insurance run Saturday to lift Wake Forest to an 8-6 win over NC State in the second game of an Atlantic Coast Conference baseball series at Doak Field.

With the win, Wake Forest improved to 18-4 overall and 3-1 in the ACC. NC State fell to 18-6 and 1-1. Daniel Davidson pitched 1 1/3 innings of shutout relief to get the win and improve to 3-0. David Bush pitched a scoreless ninth inning to get his fifth save of the year. Phillip Davidson allowed three runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings of relief for NC State and took the loss to fall to 3-2.

The Deacons strung together five consecutive hits and scored three runs in the top of the third. One of the five hits did not leave the infield, and two others barely reached the outfield grass. With one out, Ben Ingold reached when his pop-up landed in shallow right, between the first and second basemen the right fielder. Ryan Hubbard singled to shallow center field, and Adam Bourassa's pop-up behind third base fell in for a single to load the bases. Nick Blue hit a grounder to first, but after looking to second base, first baseman David Hicks's only play was at first. Unfortunately, Rogers was late covering the bag and Blue beat it out for an RBI single. Ryan Johnson followed with a two-run single to right that staked Wake Forest starter Tim Morley to an early 3-0 lead.

Joe Gaetti led off the bottom of the third by beating out a bunt for a single, and stole second base. After Adam Hargrave lined out, Jeremy Dutton walked on four pitches and Chad Orvella doubled to right-center, driving in both runners and cutting the lead to 3-2. The lead then changed hands. Brian Wright drew a two-out walk and Colt Morton belted a three-run homer to left, his second of the series and his sixth of the season, giving NC State the lead a 5-3.

Wake came back and literally knocked Rogers out of the game in the top of the fifth. Rogers got the first two batters in the inning easily enough, Johnson and D'Antona, on a fly ball to right and a grounder to third. But Steve LaFaivre walked and Steven Ghutzman singled to right field to put runners on the corners. Jeff Ruziecki was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Ingold lined a shot off Rogers' shin. Rogers managed to pick up the ball but his throw to the plate, which was too late to get LeFaivre, got past Morton for an error that allowed Ghutzman to score and tie the score at 5-5.

The Wolfpack went back in front with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Gaetti singled to left with one out and Hargrave walked. Hargrave and Gaetti pulled a double steal, and Dutton hit a soft line-drive single to right field, his first hit of the series, to drive in Gaetti and give NC State a 6-5 lead.

The Wolfpack picked a bad time to have problems fielding bunts, botching two of them in the top of the eighth inning to set up a two-run Wake Forest rally. Ruziecki led off and singled up the middle. Ingold and Hubbard both followed with sacrifice attempts, but the NC State infield misplayed both into infield singles, loading the bases for Bourassa, who singled to center to tie the score at 6-6. Blue followed with a sacrifice fly to center, driving in Ingold with the go-ahead run. Johnson walked to reload the bases, but Orvella robbed D'Antona on a grounder up the middle, turning it into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

Wake added a big insurance run in the top of the ninth. Ghutzman smoked a one-out double down the line in right, went to third on a balk and scored when Ingold's roller to the left side of the infield went just past Orvella at shortstop and into left field for a single.

The two teams will conclude the series on Sunday afternoon. Game time is scheduled for 1:30.