Navas Wins 400th as Wolfpack Powers Past Hokies

Saturday, April 16

Blacksburg, Va.

2:00 PM

NC State

33-22, 4-6

Virginia Tech (DH2)

33-15, 2-9

NC State

Virginia Tech

4/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

April 16, 2005

Box Score

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Jen Chamberlin hit a RBI double in the top of the eighth to plate the go ahead run, as NC State (33-22, 4-6 ACC) withstood two, four-run rallies by Virginia Tech (33-15, 2-9 ACC) as head coach Lisa Navas won her 400th career game. The win, a 9-7 triumph in eight innings, saw NC State notch a team record 17 base hits en route to a doubleheader sweep. NC State won the opener 9-3, as the nine runs in each game set the NC State ACC record for runs in a conference game. Ashleigh Davis hit her first two doubles and her first four RBIs to pace the offense, as ten players recorded base hits, including all nine starters for the second straight game. The 33 wins this season surpasses the 32 wins in the inaugural season in 2004.

"It was good for us to execute and for our bats to come alive," Navas said. "We had been playing tentative but we worked on being aggressive and playing smart. We did all of that today and this is a game I'll remember because of the 400th [win]. When you coach this long this kind of thing happens."

Navas holds a 400-183-1 career record in 11 seasons, and is 65-49 in two season with the Wolfpack. NC State improved to 4-6 in conference play after finishing last season with a 3-7 record in its first season in the ACC. The Hokies and Pack will play the final game on Sunday, Apr. 17 at 1 p.m. in Blacksburg, Va.

Abbie Sims pitched the last two innings for the win, allowing two singles and striking out two to improve to 15-7 on the season. Shaina Ervin started and allowed seven hits and seven runs - only two earned - with four strike outs in the game.

NC State started off the second game much like it ended the first, getting four runs on four hits in the first inning off of Virginia Tech starter Karie Morrison. Shaina Ervin hit an RBI single with the bases juiced before Ashleigh Davis came to the plate with the bags full and two outs. Davis hit her first career double and collected her first three RBIs as she cleared the bases for a 4-0 lead.

The Hokies collected four straight hits to start the game and score two runs in the bottom of the first on an error and a double to trim the lead to 4-2.

Davis would hit her second double in the third for her fourth RBI of the game, scoring Lisa Nentwig, who singled earlier in the inning. Reneé LaCroix doubled in the sixth run of the game for a 6-2 advantage.

In the fourth, the Wolfpack picked up another run after Chamberlin reached on an error and advanced to second. Miranda Ervin fouled off eight straight pitches in an 11-pitch at-bat before smacking a single up the middle to score Chamberlin to make it 7-2.

The bottom half of the inning produced the third run for Virginia Tech on a solo shot to start the inning from Stephanie Savre to make it 7-3.

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Virginia Tech capitalized on an error by Davis in right field. Davis had a fly ball pop in and out of her glove, allowing Alisia Nardowski to reach second on the play. After back-to-back walks to Megan Evans and Savre to load the bases, Sarah Prosise tripled off of the glove of a diving Davis in right to clear the bases and make it a 7-6 ball game. Kathleen Jones singled to short but was safe after the diving stop and throw by Smith couldn't end the inning as the tying run scored.

"As a team, we finally realized that mistakes are a part of the game and it is more about how you deal with them that counts," Navas said. "To overcome mistakes you have to work out of it without creating another one. We kept bouncing back and playing with a lot of energy to overcome our miscues today."

Abbie Sims came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and faced the 3-4-5 batters. After getting Narodowski to ground out, Sims struck out the ACC leader in home runs, Megan Evans. Savre reached on catcher's interference to bring up Prosise, who struck out looking to move to the top of the eighth.

Smith walked to start the eighth, and moved to second on a wild pitch from relief pitcher Katie Maynard (12-8). Jen Chamberlin laced a double into right center to score Smith for the go ahead run. Sims hit a RBI single up the middle to score Chamberlin for a 9-7 lead.

Kathleen Jones blooped a single over the outstretched glove of Nentwig at first to put the lead off runner on in the eighth for Virginia Tech and give NC State a scare. Sims walked Caroline Stolle, and Theresa Walsh hit a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners to second and third with one down. Brown singled to short, but Smith held the runners at second and third, and with the bases loaded, Sims got Murphy to pop up and Narodowski to line out to end the game.