NC State Baseball Overtakes N.C. A&T, 9-7

Wednesday, April 9

Raleigh, N.C.

7:00 PM

NC State

28-7

North Carolina A&T

7-25

North Carolina A&T

NC State

4/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 9, 2003

Final Stats

Dutton Goes Deep Twice - Jeremy Dutton homered twice and drove in three runs Wednesday night to lift NC State to a come-from-behind 9-7 victory over North Carolina A&T at Doak Field. The ninth-ranked Wolfpack won for the fifth time in a row and improved to 28-7 on the season. The Aggies fell to 7-25 with the loss.

Freshman lefthander Jason Duncan (1-0) got the win for the Wolfpack after working two innings and allowing one run on one hit. He struck out one and did not issue a walk. Chad Orvella worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning, striking out two, to record his second save of the season. North Carolina A&T reliever Joey Peascoe (1-5) got the loss. He allowed five runs, three of them earned, on four hits in 2-1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out three.

A&T threatened in the top of the first but Kendrick Bell was out on a disputed play at the plate for the final out of the inning. The Wolfpack threatened in the bottom of the first and carried through on its threat for a run. Dutton walked and Justin Riley singled past third base to put runners on the corners. Aggie starter Michael Hauff uncorked a wild pitch to allow Dutton to score and give NC State a 1-0 lead.

The Aggies didn't just threaten in the top of the second; they exploded for five runs. Patrick Battle led off and was hit by a pitch, and Jeffrey King belted a homer to left to make it 2-1. Ben Teasley and Spencer Brooks walked, and Stewart McClintock bunted the runners to second and third. Price Stevens drove both runners in with a double to left. Stevens went to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch to give North Carolina A&T a 5-1 lead.

The Wolfpack got back in the game in the bottom of the f ourth. Conor Clougherty led off and was hit by a pitch. On a hit-and-run play, pinch-hitter Marc Maynor dribbled a single through the vacated hole on the left side of the infield to put runners on the corners. Maynor stole second, and Adam Hargrave and Matt Camp hit sacrifice flies. Dutton followed with a solo home run to right, pulling the Pack to within a run at 5-4.

The Aggies added an unearned run in the top of the sixth. King led off and reached when his infield pop-up was not handled for an error. Teasley walked, and Brooks bunted the runners to second and third. McClintock's grounder to second, which should have been the third out of the inning because of the error, allowed King to score and give A&T a 6-4 lead.

NC State tied the game suddenly in the bottom of the sixth. Camp reached on an error, and Dutton lined a homer off the foul pole in right, his second of the game and eighth of the season.

Eric Jones broke the tie with a two-out solo homer in the top of the seventh, but the Wolfpack came back to take its first lead since the bottom of the first in the bottom half of the frame. Joe Gaetti led off with an opposite-field double down the left-field line, and Clougherty again was hit by a pitch. Maynor laid down a bunt, and Eric Jones threw the ball away, allowing Gaetti to score the tying run and leaving runners at second and third. Hargrave squeezed home Clougherty with a bunt, and Camp delivered a run with a ground ball that went for a fielder's choice to give NC State a 9-7 lead.