NC State
8-13
Eastern Illinois- Winthrop Tournament
8-10
Wolfpack Powers Past Eastern Illinois to Advance to Championship Sunday
3/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 13, 2004
ROCK HILL, S.C. - NC State earned the no. 3 seed out of its pool with a 6-4 win over Eastern Illinois in the final game of pool play on Saturday, March 13 at the Winthrop Ringor Invitational. Shaina Ervin became the first NC State player to hit two homeruns in a game, and the Wolfpack turned the programs first triple play in the first inning to advance to the championship rounds on Sunday. Abbie Sims (7-4) won her fifth straight game, striking out a NC State record 15 strikeouts in the win.
NC State needed to win to assure a game in the championship on Sunday, and the team came out prepared to get the job done. The Wolfpack jumped on the Panthers early, picking up four runs in the top of the first. Sims singled up the middle and Miranda Ervin walked before being pinch ran for by Beth Poore. Jen Chamberlin doubled in two runs, bringing Shaina Ervin to the plate. She homered to left field, her first of the season, and the first three run homerun in NC State's history.
Sims was again strong from the circle, striking out 15 batters, and NC State record, allowing only six hits and three earned runs in the complete game. Over her last five games pitched, all wins, Sims has two shutouts, 56 strikeouts to only 12 walks, and has allowed on 19 hits in 35 innings. Her ERA is 1.20, and she is hitting a team best .417 in the five games, with two homeruns and a double.
Eastern would answer with two runs in the bottom of the first, but with runners on the corners with zero outs, NC State turned a triple play to end the threat. Rachel Karos struckout swinging, and Bridget Owen attempted to advance to second on a delayed steal, but Miranda Ervin threw her out as Renee' LaCroix covered second. LaCroix kept her head up, as Mandy Lindwall attempted to steal home on the play. LaCroix threw back to Miranda Ervin, getting the runner at home and recording the triple play.
NC State pounded out nine hits, six of them for extra bases, and had countless other hard hit balls on the evening as the Wolfpack was determined to win and win big in its last chance to advance to championship Sunday. Lee Hasper hit a rope to left field, as the left fielder stumbled and made the play to rob her of a double in the second. Hasper also hit a deep fly ball to center, as did Heather Gelbard.
In addition to Chamberlin's double, Miranda Ervin hit her second double of the year, and Caroline Blount also doubled for the Wolfpack.
After the Panthers tied the score at four in the fourth, NC State would go up for good behind the bats of Shaina Ervin and Allison Cuculich. Ervin hit a deep, towering homerun over the left field wall, one at bat after she got plunked in her first at bat after the homerun in the first. Allison Cuculich followed with her first career homerun, as she came in to pinch hit for Jennifer Patterson.
NC State will play St. John's at 9 a.m. on Sunday, and will look to advance through the championship as one of four no. 3 seeds in the four pool tournament.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sims, Abbie (7-4)
L: Brittany Whelan (3-3)
Batting:
2B: Ervin, Miranda 1 ; Chamberlin, Jennifer 1 ; Blount, Caroline 1
HR: Ervin, Shaina 2 ; Cuculich, Allison 1
RBI: Chamberlin, Jennifer 1 ; Ervin, Shaina 4 ; Cuculich, Allison 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sims, Abbie 1 ; Poore, Beth 1 ; Chamberlin, Jennifer 1 ; Ervin, Shaina 2 ; Cuculich, Allison 1
HBP: Ervin, Shaina 1
Batting:
RBI: Sandyn Short 1 ; Chelsea Adams 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Kari Hagerty 1 ; Jessica Irps 1 ; Sandyn Short 1 ; Rachel Karos 1
CS: Bridget Owen 1
