North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Softball Hosts No. 21 Florida State
3/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 7, 2005
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ACC Opener With Florida State Awaits Wolfpack Softball
NC State softball will host Florida State (14-7, 2-1) in a three game series to open league play for NC State (21-9, 0-0). The two teams will play a doubleheader on Monday, Mar. 7 at 1/3 p.m. and resume for a third game on Tuesday, Mar. 8 at 1 p.m. FSU is coming off of its ACC opener against North Carolina, taking two of three from the Tar Heels. NC State won three-of-four at the Hampton Inn Pirate Clash this past weekend in Greenville, N.C., defeating James Madison, Liberty and Delaware and losing a 1-0 decision to Princeton despite a two-hitter from Abbie Sims.
Las Vegas Bound Wolfpack To Compete In UNLV Tournament
NC State will travel to Las Vegas, Nev. this week to compete in the 2005 Eller Media Stadium Round Robin, Mar. 10-13. NC State will play five games in the tournament. On Thursday, Mar. 10, NC State will play Bowling Green and host UNLV at 3 and 5 p.m., respectively. Miami (Ohio) will be the Wolfpack opponent on Saturday at 9 a.m., and New Mexico State and the Wolfpack will square off on Sunday, Mar. 13 at 9 a.m. At 3:45 p.m. on Sunday, NC State will take on No. 1 Arizona before returning to Raleigh, N.C.
First 30 Games Show Six Game Improvement From A Year Ago
Through 30 games in 2004, NC State stood at 15-15 and was in the midst of a streak that saw NC State win 16 of its 18 games to imrpove on a 4-10 start. What a difference a year makes. In 2005, NC State started out 10-2 and stands now with 21 wins in thirty games, six games ahead of the pace set a year ago.
Home Runs And Pitching Pace NC State
NC State won both games on Saturday at the Hampton Inn Pirate Clash via the long ball. Heather Gelbard hit a walk-off two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh for a 3-1 win over Delaware, and Jen Chamberlin hit a tw0-run home run in the fifth to propel NC State to a 2-1 win over Liberty. The pitching staff combined for a 3-1 record, giving up four runs in 27 innings pitched while striking out 29 batters and walking just five. Opponents hit a paltry .156 against the Wolfpack staff, with Sims holding her batters to just .080 from the plate.
Navas Reaches 50
Fifty wins, that is. With the 3-0 win over Appalachian St. on Sunday, Feb. 27 at the Seahawk Classic, NC State head coach Lisa Navas won her 50th game at NC State. She now has 388 career wins in 11 years, which included nine years at Barry Univ. in Miami, Fla.
Shutting The Door
In its inaugural season of 2004, NC State pitchers combined for 10 shutouts in 59 games. Sims had seven of those, with Shaina Ervin notching the other three. Through 26 games in 2005, the Wolfpack staff has already amassed 10 shutouts. Sims has five, Ervin two, and freshmen Brooke Isley and Megan Dalthorp each have one, with one combined shutout between Sims and Isley. Sims had her first career no-hitter against James Madison this season, while Dalthorp pitched a five-inning no-hitter in her first career start against George Washington.
Five Times The Run
Three NC State players have enjoyed the number five this season, as Sims, Gelbard and Jennifer Patterson have each had five RBIs in a game, a school record. Gelbard was the first to accomplish the feat, going 5-for-5 with a grand slam and five RBIs against Mississippi Valley State on Feb. 6. Patterson followed, hitting a school record three doubles and collecting her five RBIs in a 10-0 win over Rutgers on Feb. 20. Not to be out done, Sims hit her own grand slam, the second in school history, and drove in five runs in an 11-2 win over Delaware St. last Saturday.
1-2-3-HR: Wolfpack Pounding Out The Hits
It's all about the stats. NC State has 209 hits, 41 doubles, five triples and 16 home runs in 30 games this season. As a comparison, in 59 games a year ago the Wolfpack offense managed 385 hits, 53 doubles, one triple and 36 home runs. The 36 home runs ranked NC State 48th in the NCAA with 0.61 long balls a game.
Wolfpack Picked Fifth in the ACC in 2005
Head coach Lisa Navas' Wolfpack squad was picked to finish fifth in the ACC by a vote of the seven coaches. NC State garnered 18 league votes, trailing unanimous No. 1 Florida State (49), Georgia Tech (40), North Carolina (35) and Virginia (23). Maryland was sixth with 16 votes, while league newcomer Virginia Tech was seventh. NC State finished fifth in the ACC in 2004, posting a 3-7 league mark and a 32-27 record overall.
