Softball's Powerful Bats Pace Pack to Pair of Wins

Saturday, March 5

Greenville, N.C.

3:00 PM

NC State

20-9

Delaware (ECU Tourn.)

3-6

Delaware

NC State

Softball's Powerful Bats Pace Pack to Pair of Wins

3/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

March 6, 2005

Box Score

GREENVILLE, N.C. - Heather Gelbard homered to save game one against Delaware, but she would have company as the Wolfpack hero when Jen Chamberlin smashed a game winning home run against Liberty in the night cap. NC State (21-9) won both games as two of the top Wolfpack hitters found their stroke in the late innings as the Wolfpack downed the Blue Hens, 3-1 and the Flames, 2-1 in the Hampton Inn Pirate Clash. NC State picked up strong pitching performances from Shaina Ervin (8-5) in game 1 and Megan Dalthorp (2-0) in the second game. Abbie Sims struck out the side in the sixth and seventh innings against Liberty for the second save of her career.

Blair Harkey went 2-for-2 against Liberty and made a run-saving, diving catch in centerfield to preserve a 1-1 tie in the first game against Delaware.

The Delaware Blue Hens fell behind early to the Wolfpack, when Lee Hasper smacked a RBI single to left to plate Tess Corona, who came in to run for Gelbard after a lead off single. Sims singled, but the game was halted by a pouring rain during Jennifer Patterson at-bat. After a 35-minute rain delay, it appeared the Wolfpack offense was still warm despite the chilly wind and cold night. Patterson singled to left on the first pitch back from the delay, but the inning ended with two runners left on base.

Sims doubled in the third before being stranded, and Patterson hit another single in the sixth that NC State could not turn into a run.

The Blue Hens scored on a sacrifice fly to center field, as Isaacs singled to lead off the inning and Plant doubled to left. With runners on second and third, Traynor hit a sinking liner to left center field that almost found grass. Harkey made a spectacular diving catch, and Isaacs tagged up to score on the sacrifice fly, though Harkey's play surely saved the go ahead run from scoring.

Shanna Smith drew a clutch walk to start the seventh, but a Allison Cuculich strikeout and a Harkey sacrifice bunt gave NC State a runner on second with two outs. Gelbard answered the bell, driving a two-run walk-off home run over the left field fence for the decisive 3-1 Wolfpack win.

Shaina Ervin was again strong in her outing, picking up her eighth win by scattering four hits, walking one and striking out nine batters.

The home run heroics were just beginning, as Liberty would soon discover. After the Flames took a 1-0 lead in the second, NC State answered in the fifth with a tremendous punch.

With two outs, Sims reached on an error to keep the inning alive. That error by the second baseman would cost the Flames dearly, as a slumping Chamberlin walked to the plate. Chamberlin was in the midst of an uncharacteristic five game hitless streak. After she grounded out to the shortstop in the third, Chamberlin was hitless in her last 15 at-bats. She changed all of that with two outs on one swing, smashing the offering to straight away center field for the deciding 2-1 margin.

Dalthorp was superb in her third career start, pitching five innings and allowing three hits while fanning three Flames. Sims came in to pitch the final two innings in a save situation and was brilliant, striking out all six batters she faced in order, with none of the six making contact on a single pitch.

NC State will return to action on Monday, Mar. 7 for a home doubleheader against Florida State at 1 and 3 p.m. in the Wolfpack's ACC opener. The two teams will play the third game of the series on Tuesday before NC State heads to Las Vegas for the UNLVA tournament.