NC State Baseball Downs San Diego State 3-1

Friday, March 5

San Diego, Calif.

9:00 PM

NC State

10-0

San Diego State

7-14

NC State

San Diego State

3/5/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 5, 2004

Final Stats

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Michael Rogers had a career-high 12 strikeouts in seven outstanding innings of work Friday night to lead NC State past San Diego State 3-1 at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Wolfpack extended its season-opening winning streak to 10 games with the victory, marking the first time NC State has been 10-0 since the 1992 team began the year 12-0. The Aztecs dropped to 7-14 with the loss.

Rogers (3-0) allowed just one unearned run on four hits, and walked just one. Joey Devine got the final four outs for his fifth save in as many opportunities. San Diego State starter Scott Shoemaker (1-5) pitched well, but took the loss after allowing three runs, one of them earned, on eight hits in seven-plus innings. He walked one and struck out seven.

NC State broke open a scoreless pitchers duel with a run in the top of the fourth. Jason St. Julien singled to right, and Dustin Knight lined a double into the gap in right-center. St. Julien was out on a close play at the plate, but Knight took third base on the throw home, and scored on David Hicks's single up the middle.

Rogers, who did not allow a hit until the fifth inning, dodged a bullet in the bottom of the sixth when Landon Burt tripled to right field with one away. Rogers recovered and struck out James Guerrero and Reilly Embry to end the threat.

The Aztecs threatened again in the bottom of the seventh, and this time scored the tying run thanks to some defensive generosity by the Wolfpack. Josh Hill singled with one down and David Hall pinch-ran. Jake McLintock followed with a single to center to put runners on first and second. Lance Zawadzki struck out for the second out, but Hall stole third on strike three. Curt Mendoza's sharp grounder to third base should have ended the inning, but Knight was unable to come up with the ball cleanly, and Hall scored on the error to tie the score at 1-1 after seven innings.

San Diego State returned the defensive favor in the top of the eighth, and NC State cashed it in for two big runs. Matt Camp led off with a single to left, and St. Julien dropped down a bunt single. Knight grounded to shortstop, but James Guerrero's throw was way over the head of Embry at first base, allowing Camp to score from second and sending St. Julien all the way to third. Pinch-hitter Ryan Johnson drove in an insurance run, also unearned, with a squeeze bunt, giving the Pack a 3-1 lead.

The Aztecs nearly sliced a run off the lead in the bottom of the eighth when Burt led off with a walk off reliever Daniel Caldwell, stole second and went to third on a one-out groundout by Embry. Devine came in for Caldwell, and his 1-2 pitch to Brock Ungricht ticked off the glove of catcher Jake Muyco and went to the backstop. Muyco got a clean carom off the backstop, however, and threw to Devine covering the plate to nail Burt for the final out of the inning. That kept alive the bullpen's streak of not allowing an earned run in 29 2/3 innings this season.

The Wolfpack and Aztecs will play game two of the three-game series on Saturday. Game time is set for 9 p.m. eastern time.