North Carolina State University Athletics
Softball Wraps Up Home Slate This Weekend
4/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 14, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State will wrap up its home docket with three games this week. The Wolfpack will host UNC Wilmington on Thursday for a solo shot at 3 p.m. The Seahawks travel to Coastal Carolina for two games on Tuesday before arriving in Raleigh. UNC-W is 17-27 and 3-5 in the Colonial Conference before its games in Conway, SC. No. 22 Georgia Tech brings NC State back in ACC action with a 1 p.m. start to a double header on Saturday. The Wramblin Wreck is 35-11 and 1-3 in ACC play, good for second in the conference standings. Recently defeated No. 10 Alabama, 1-0 on Tuesday.
Last At-Bat
At North Carolina: NC State opened ACC play at North Carolina last Friday. It was the first conference bite for both teams and each walked away with a win. The Wolfpack picked up the first of the two-game series, 5-2. Freshman Miranda Ervin hit a three-run home run in the seventh after the score was knotted at two apiece. NC State gave up six hits, but allowed just two runs in the first game. Pitcher Abbie Sims led NC State with nine strikeouts and just two walks as she earned her 19th victory of the season. She also went 3-of-4 from the plate, all singles, and tallied both a run and a RBI. Game two saw last minute heroics go in favor of UNC. After freshman pitcher Shaina Ervin retired 16-straight batters, UNC had had enough. The Tar Heels' Streete finished the game after eight innings with a walk off home run to complete the scoring at 3-2. NC State had taken the lead early with a 2-0 stretch heading into the seventh inning. Vs. Maryland: NC State was held scoreless and in fact was held off the bases until lead-off batter freshman Heather Gelbard broke the streak with a single up the middle in the fourth inning. Chamberlin inked her 11th home run of the season and Sims and the Pack defense held the Terps' offense at bay. The hurler struck out eight batters, allowed just three hits and had zero walks in 24 batters. The Terrapins took home the second game with a 1-0 score. Maryland's Greyson turned her own single into a run for herself after teammates loaded the bases and eventually walked her in to take the 1-0 lead.
On Deck
NC State will be on the road for the remainder of the season after hosting this weekend. The Wolfpack will wrap up the regular season with a non-conference stint at Coastal Carolina and two ACC series, including Virginia and Florida State. The ACC Tournament is set for May 14-16 in Tallahassee, Fla.
A Glance at The Opposition
UNC-Wilmington: The Seahawks stand at 17-27 entering the one-game meeting on Thursday. The squad recently split with visiting Drexel last Saturday, winning the first game 4-3 and falling in the second 1-0. Pitcher Jaime Gostyla owns the best overall record for UNC-W, at 9-9. Christina Elmore has taken the lead at the plate, hitting .329 with a team-high 43 hits. Georgia Tech: The No. 22 Wramblin Wreck is fresh off a 1-0 win over visiting No. 13 Alabama on Wednesday. Catcher Lauren Schlechte scored the team's only run. Pitcher Jessica Sallinger earned her third no-hitter of the season and improved her record to 22-6 to lead GT. In the batters box is Tara Knudsen, who has collected a team-best 57 hits and 11 home runs. She is hitting .452 on the year. In ACC action, GT split with Virginia (W, 2-0 and 2-0 L) and was defeated in both games by Florida State (4-0, 2-1).
Heading For Home
Freshman Jennifer Chamberlin has hit 11 balls over the fence this season, which ties for the ACC lead in home runs. In her 47 games and 144 at bats, Chamberlin has tallied 44 hits, including 11 home runs and six doubles. She has a team-best 57.6 on base percentage as well and has 83 total bases - fifth in the ACC.
"Hitting" By Gelbard
Heather Gelbard leads the Wolfpack with 54 hits after 46 games. Of her 54 hits, she has roped a team-high 10 doubles and two home runs. Her hits total is good for third in the ACC and her doubles range is eighth. She leads the team in at bats as well with 165 and has a 35.8 on base percentage.
A Plate Full
Four players have been extraordinarily successful at the plate this season. Miranda Ervin recently ended a 10-game hitting streak at North Carolina, but jumped back on the wagon against Maryland and has earned a hit in the last two games. Gelbard has the pleasure of owning the longest hitting streak on the team; she sits with nine-straight games (also her longest). Jennifer Chamberlin and Abbie Sims have also enjoyed long hitting streaks. Both maxed out at eight.
Take a Look At Us Now
NC State's freshmen pitching duo of Abbie Sims and Shaina Ervin is establishing itself as one of the best in the ACC. The two combine for 27 of the Pack's 29 wins. Sims leads with 20 of those victories. The tandem have combined to pitch 307 innings. The mere fact that they are both freshmen has been astonishing as they both have become a dominant force in the circle. Sims is the youngest hurler among the ACC's top five in wins and both are among the top five in innings pitched. Sims is the youngest player with 212 strikeouts, good for third in the ACC rankings. The other two pitchers are from Florida State and Georgia Tech, both are ranked in the nation's top 25 teams.
Beyond the Standard
NC State's starting lineup consists of eight freshmen and one sophomore. That is the youngest lineup in the ACC. The team is ranked third in the ACC standings by record and was selected to finish sixth in the preseason poll.
Sister, Sister
It's not double vision. It's twins. Freshmen Miranda and Shaina Ervin are twins. Miranda will wear No. 11, while Shaina wears No. 12. Miranda catches for Shaina. In college, the duo have lived up to their prep credentials, as Miranda leads the team in putouts with 321, while Shaina leads the team in walks with 21.
Shaina recorded the school's first no hitter. She ranks in the top-10 in several categories, including strikeouts, average, and opponents batting average. She also has been consistent and clutch at the plate, leading the team in walks and is third in RBI, and she is third in home runs with four.
It's RBI Time
Shaina Ervin has 21 RBI on the season and has four games in which she has totaled three or more, including one game with four RBI. She is the only Wolfpack player to have recorded four RBI in a game.
Softball Home Games at Walnut Creek
NC State will play all of its home games at the Walnut Creek Softball Complex for the 2004 season. The Wolfpack is working on the construction of a new stadium on the campus of NC State that will feature field lights, batting cages, bleachers and a concourse.
