NC State Baseball Clips UNC Wilmington, 5-4

Tuesday, May 18

Raleigh, N.C.

7:00 PM

NC State

32-19

Nc Wilmington

31-19

UNC Wilmington

NC State

5/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

May 18, 2004

Final Stats

RALEIGH, N.C. - Mike Jensen led a resurgent NC State offense Tuesday night at Doak Field as the Wolfpack defeated UNC Wilmington 5-4. Jensen had a career-high four hits, and NC State banged out 14 hits in all.

Jensen's hot night marked only the third four-hit game by a Wolfpack player this season, and the 14-hit outburst was the most hits by the Pack since April 18 vs. Wake Forest, a span of 11 games.

The win was the third in a row for NC State, which improved to 32-19. UNCW had a three-game losing streak snapped with the loss and fell to 31-19.

Daniel Caldwell, making only his second start of the season for the Wolfpack, worked the first five innings, allowing two runs on three hits to get the win and improve to 2-1. Caldwell walked none and struck out three. Joey Devine pitched the last two innings and retired all six men he faced, three of them on strikes, for his 10th save of the year. Zach Booker, the second of five UNCW pitchers, got the loss and fell to 1-1. Booker allowed two runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings. He recorded no walks or strikeouts.

UNCW scored first with a run in the top of the first inning. Chip Grawey led off and was hit by a pitch. Lee McLean moved Grawey to second on a groundout, and Matt Sutton drove the run home with a single to left. Caldwell and the Wolfpack avoided further damage when left fielder Jason St. Julien and shortstop Jonathan Diaz combined to cut down Sutton at home plate on Neal Eichhorn's double to left field.

The Wolfpack answered with a run in the bottom of the first. Matt Camp led off with a walk, and went to second when Seahawk starter Jeff Moore's pickoff throw went past Sutton at first base and down the right-field line. David Hicks drove Camp in with a solid single to center field. Jensen followed with a single to left, and with two away, Lee Mezistrano singled to center field. Grawey made it two runners cut down at home plate in the first inning by nailing Hicks for the final out of the inning.

The Seahawks jumped back in front 2-1 in the top of the second. Tim Preston hit a one-out triple to the wall in center field, and scored on John Raynor's grounder to second base. NC State got that run back in the bottom of the inning. Caleb Mangum drew a one-out walk and went to second on a wild pitch. Diaz moved the runner to third with a groundout to the right side of the infield, and Camp got the RBI with an infield single, tying the score at 2-2.

St. Julien led off the bottom of the third and was hit by a pitch. Mezistrano singled to left, and Eric Taylor gave the Pack a 3-2 lead with an RBI single up the middle. Mezistrano took third on the play, and Diaz got him home with a squeeze bunt, making it 4-2.

Camp led off the bottom of the sixth with an opposite-field liner to left for a single, and pinch-hitter Ryan Johnson beat out a bunt for a base hit, putting runners at first and second with none out. Hicks flied out to center for the first out, but Jensen pulled a single through the right side of the infield to drive in Camp and give NC State a 5-2 lead.

The Seahawks got back within a run at 5-4 in the top of the seventh when Grawey reached a two-out error and Lee McLean drove a home run into the trees beyond the right-field fence.