Pack Softball Wins Opener 4-1 Over Centenary College

Friday, February 10

Auburn, Ala. (Tiger Invitational)

1:00 PM

NC State

1-0

Centenary College

0-1

Centenary College

NC State

Pack Softball Wins Opener 4-1 Over Centenary College

2/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

Feb. 10, 2006

AUBURN, Ala. - A pitching duel over four and a half innings, NC State downed Centenary College 4-1 in the season opener for both teams. Abbie Sims picked up the win with a one hitter after taking a no-hit bid into the sixth inning. She struck out 11 batters, the 27th time in her career she has posted a double digit strikeout game. Jen Chamberlin had two RBI singles and Jess Willems' tied a school record with two sacrifice hits in the game. The Wolfpack will take on Evansville at 9 pm eastern time this evening.

NC State took the lead in the bottom of the fifth, capitalizing on three walks from Centenary pitcher Ashley Lail (0-1) in the innings during a two-out rally. Willems led off the inning with a single to shallow centerfield before walking Shanna Smith two batters later. With two outs, Chamberlin singled just out of reach of the diving shortstop and Willems beat the throw home for the go ahead run.

Jennifer Patterson followed with a walk to load the bases, and Tess Corona drew her second walk of the game to force in a run for a 2-0 Wolfpack lead.

Sims would lose her no-hit and shut out bid in the top of the sixth, as Micah Rhodes hit the second pitch she saw over the centerfield wall to trim the lead to 2-1. Sims would respond in the inning, striking out three more in the inning.

With its lead trimmed to one run, the NC State offense put two more on the board for a 4-1 lead. Lisa Nentwig led off with her second walk of the game and moved to second on Willems' second sacrifice bunt of the game. After Heather Gelbard walked, Sims hit a grounder to short that was thrown low into the dirt at first for an error, with Nentwig scoring on the play. Chamberlin hit a ball sharply to third for an infield RBI single as Gelbard came around to score.

Sims and the defense polished off Centenary, allowing just one base runner in the seventh inning, just the seventh overall of the game for the Ladies.