North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
4-1
Mississippi Valley State
1-4
NC State Softball Pounds MVSU Behind Gelbard's Grand Slam
2/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 7, 2005
Sparked by a record setting game by sophomore Heather Gelbard, NC State cruised to a 14-5 win over Mississippi Valley State to improve to 4-1 at the Bulldog Round Robin in Starville, Miss. Gelbard went 5-for-5 with five RBIs, including a tie-breaking grand slam on a full count with two outs in the third inning. Freshman pitcher Brooke Isley got the win in her first career start, pitching three innings and allowing five hits while striking out two. Another freshman, Megan Dalthorp, pitched the final three innings, notching four strikeouts and allowing only a single for the save.
NC State jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, scoring off of MVSU starter Elizabeth Imbert. Gelbard lead off with a hard single up the middle, but the Devilettes centerfielder misplayed the ball, and Gelbard advanced to third on the two-base error. After Tess Corona flied out to left, Abbie Sims drilled a RBI single up the middle to score Gelbard.
The Wolfpack would tack on another run in the second, after a walk to Blair Harkey got the inning started. Gelbard hit a double off of the left field wall, and Harkey attempted to score from first. The MVSU catcher tried to apply the tag, but Harkey jarred the ball lose to make it 2-0.
MVSU would tie the game off of Isley, who made her second appearance of the season and first start. Nicholson lead off the second with a single to shortstop Renee LaCroix. The Devilettes' first baseman hit an RBI triple to bring in the first run, before an RBI single made it 2-2.
The top of the third was favorable for the Pack, as its offense exploded with six runs on five hits, highlighted by a grand slam from Gelbard. Shaina Ervin walked, Jennifer Patterson singled up the middle and Allison Cuculich drew a pinch hit walk to load the bases. With two outs and the count full, Gelbard hit a drive into left field that bounced off of the top of the wall and out of the park for her first career grand slam, and first home run of the year.
Corona hit a two-out single before Sims hit a towering homerun to left for an 8-2 Wolfpack lead.
MVSU answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the third to make it 8-5. Ashleigh Davis reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a Gelbard single to rightfield to make it 9-5.
Shanna Smith hit a RBI double after Jess Willems singled to lead off the inning to make it 10-5. A two-RBI single by Patterson made the lead 12-5. In the top of the sixth, NC State made it 14-5 after a RBI single by Willems and a sacrifice fly by Jen Chamberlin.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Isley, Brooke (1-0)
L: E. Imbert (0-1)
S: Dalthorp, Megan (1)
Batting:
2B: Gelbard, Heather 1 ; Smith, Shanna 1
HR: Gelbard, Heather 1 ; Sims, Abbie 1
RBI: Gelbard, Heather 5 ; Sims, Abbie 3 ; Willems, Jessica 1 ; Chamberlin, Jennifer 1 ; Smith, Shanna 1 ; Patterson, Jennifer 2
SH: Klem, Laura 1
SF: Chamberlin, Jennifer 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gelbard, Heather 3 ; Corona, Tess 1 ; Sims, Abbie 1 ; Willems, Jessica 1 ; Blount, Caroline 1 ; Smith, Shanna 2 ; Poore, Beth 1 ; Davis, Ashleigh 1 ; LaCroix, Reneé 1 ; Harkey, Blair 1 ; Hasper, Lee 1
SB: Willems, Jessica 1
Batting:
2B: A. Roland 1
3B: C. Holmes 1
RBI: T. Johns 1 ; T. Rembert 1 ; C. Holmes 1
SH: T. Rembert 1
Base Running:
RUNS: A. Roland 1 ; V. Nicholson 2 ; T. Rembert 1 ; C. Holmes 1
SB: E. Davis 1 ; B. Young 1
