NC State Baseball Downs San Diego State, 8-6

Friday, February 18

Doak Field

3:00 PM

NC State

5-1

San Diego State

2-6

San Diego State

NC State

2/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 18, 2005

Final Stats

RALEIGH, N.C. - Aaron Bates doubled, homered, stole a base, scored two runs and drove in a pair, and NC State banged out 10 hits Friday to defeat San Diego State 8-6 in the first game of a three-game college baseball series at Doak Field. The win lifts the Wolfpack to 5-1 on the season, while the Aztecs fall to 2-6.

Redshirt-sophomore righthander Sam Walls (1-0) got the victory for the Wolfpack after tossing three solid innings in relief of starter Phil Davidson. Walls allowed a pair of runs on three hits, walked two and struck out three. Junior righthander Joey Devine picked up his third save of the season and the 27th of his career, moving him into sole possession of fifth place in Atlantic Coast Conference history. San Diego State righthander Bruce Billings (1-1) was charged with the loss after allowing six runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out four.

In addition to Bates, Matt Camp had a pair of singles and drove in a run for NC State. Clayton Carson went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs for San Diego State. Garrick Evans, Lance Zawadzki and Jordan Swaydon also had two hits for the Aztecs.

The Wolfpack took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Bryan Kinneberg drew a one-out walk, and Billings hit Bates on the hand with a pitch to put runners on first and second. Aaron Cone smoked a liner off the glove of Zawadski at third base for an RBI single that drove in Kinneberg with the first run of the game. Jake Muyco made it 2-0 with single up the middle that drove in Bates from third base.

San Diego State bounced back with a run in the top of the second. Tim O'Brien led off with a double to the right-center-field gap and Brook Ungricht walked on four pitches. Zawadski worked Davidson to a full count before taking ball four to load the bases with none out. Carson got the Aztecs on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly to left. Curt Mendoza blooped a single to center field to load the bases again, but Davidson got Swayden to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning with NC State holding a 2-1 lead.

Cone led off the bottom of the third with a walk and stole second. With one out, Muyco walked to put runners on first and second, and Matt Devine drove in both runners with a line-drive double down the left-field line, giving NC State a 4-1 lead.

Ungricht singled up the middle to open the top of the fourth, and Zwadski singled to left to put runners on first and second with none out. Carson bunted the runners to second and third, and after Curt Mendoza struck out, Walls was summoned from the bullpen. Swayden greeted Walls with a two-run single to right that cut the Wolfpack lead to 4-3.

Kinneberg drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the fourth and Bates stepped into a Billings fastball, driving it well over the big wall in left-center field, pushing the lead back to three runs at 6-3.

NC State scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth. Brian Aragon led off and reached on a throwing error. Devine sacrificed Aragon to second, and Camp drove him in with a perfectly placed two-out RBI single to shallow center field.

Carson led off the bottom of the sixth with an infield single and Swayden bounced a single up the middle. Quintin Berry drove in Carson with a grounder to shortstop, pulling the Aztecs to within three runs at 7-4.

San Diego State scored twice in the top of the seventh to cut the lead to one run. O'Brien walked with one out, and with two down Zawadski greeted reliever Jason Duncan with a double to right to put runners on second and third. Carson got both runnes home with a single, trimming the lead to 7-6.

The Wolfpack came right back with a run in the bottom of the inning. The rally started with two outs already in the book. Devine and Diaz worked reliever Cody Campbell for walks. Dan Bruckart came in to face Camp and uncorked a wild pitch to move the runners to second and third. Camp drew a walk, and ball four was in the dirt for another wild pitch, scoring Devine and giving the Pack an 8-6 lead.