NC State Baseball Downs George Mason 6-3

Wednesday, March 10

Raleigh, N.C.

2:00 PM

NC State

11-3

George Mason

10-2

George Mason

NC State

3/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 10, 2004

Final Stats

RALEIGH, N.C. - Derek McKee allowed two runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings in his first start in 22 months, and Joey Devine tied the NC State career record for saves as the Wolfpack downed George Mason 6-3 Wednesday at Doak Field. The Wolfpack snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory and improved to 11-3. The Patriots fell to 10-2 with the loss.

McKee (1-0) was sharp in only his second appearance since coming back from shoulder surgery. He struck out eight and did not issue a walk, and allowed just four runners to reach scoring position. Devine pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his sixth save of the season and the 20th of his career, tying Brian Bark (1987-90) for the school record. Devine hit a batter and walked one, but he speared a line drive on a hit-and-run play to start a double play, and he struck out one. Patriots starter Jason Mills (0-1), making his first start, was not sharp. Mills allowed six runs on seven hits in three innings. He walked one, struck out one, and threw three wild pitches, all in the same inning.

The Wolfpack jumped on Mills in the bottom of the first inning. Matt Camp led off with a single and went to second on a wild pitch. Bryan Kinneberg flied to center to move Camp to third, and David Hicks singled to right to drive in the first run. Hicks went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Dustin Knight's bloop double to shallow right field. Knight went to third on the third wild pitch of the inning, and scored on Lee Mezistrano's single to right, giving NC State a 3-0 lead after an inning.

The Patriots got a run back in the top of the second on Adam Innerst's two-out solo home run to right, but Jason St. Julien led off the bottom of the third with a long solo homer to center, and after Kinneberg walked, Hicks hit a first-pitch two-run homer to right, extending the Pack's lead to 6-1.

McKee finally tired in the top of the sixth. Matt Cooksey led off with a triple to right-center and scored on a groundout by Jeff Palumbo. Bruce Baldwin singled to right and Chris Looze singled to left to put runners on first and second with one out. That was all for McKee. Gib Hobson came in and got Nick Shimer on an infield fly and Innert o a fly ball to left.

Cooksey led off the top of the eighth with a solo homer off of reliever Nate Cretarolo to cut the Wolfpack lead to 6-3, but Cretarolo struck out Palumbo and Looze, and Adam McLaurin got Innerst to ground into a force play to escape further damage.

The Wolfpack will return to action on Friday at Doak Field in the first game of a three-game series with Northeastern. Game times will be 3 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.