Miranda Ervin Walk-Off Grand Slam Cages Tigers, 6-4

Friday, February 17

Tucson, Ariz. (Worth Wildcat Tournament)

12:00 PM

NC State

5-3

Pacific

2-3

Pacific

NC State

Miranda Ervin Walk-Off Grand Slam Cages Tigers, 6-4

2/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

Feb. 17, 2006

Box Score

TUCSON, Ariz. - It took an extra inning and clutch hitting, but NC State finally defeated the Pacific Tigers in the opening game of the Worth Wildcat Tournament. The fourth lead change of the game came as the Wolfpack's Miranda Ervin hit a walk-off grand slam as NC State (5-3) rallied with a 6-4 win. Jennifer Patterson went 2-for-4 with a RBI and Megan Dalthorp (2-1) won her second straight start by striking out three Tigers.

With Pacific up 4-2 in the bottom half of the eighth, NC State loaded the bases with one down. Sims drew a walk after a 10 pitch at-bat, and Jen Chamberlin was hit in the leg to load the bases. Patterson popped for the second out of the inning before Miranda Ervin came in to pinch hit for Dalthorp. Ervin ended the game with her first career grand slam and the first pinch hit grand slam in school history.

The top of the second saw two impressive defensive plays to start the inning for the Wolfpack. Blair Harkey sprinted towards the infield and made a diving catch on a line drive for an out, and Jen Chamberlin followed with a backhanded stop up the line at third. After a single and a walk put a pair on with two outs, Dalthorp induced a groundout to end the inning and both teams remained scoreless until the fourth.

Pacific took the lead in the top of the fourth, getting a run on two hits and a pair of walks in the inning. Kristen Allen led off with a double down the left field line and the pinch runner moved to third on a bunt single by Lauren Weyman. Dalthorp retired the next two batters to leave the Tigers with second and third and two outs. She walked two straight batters to force in a run and give Pacific a 1-0 advantage.

The Wolfpack bats broke out in the bottom of the sixth to put two runs on the board for a 2-1 lead. Alycia LePage was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and moved to second on Smith's single through the left side, the first of four straight Wolfpack hits. Sims followed by smashing a pitch to right field that hit the top of the wall and fell back in play for a long single to load the bases. Chamberlin singled up the middle to drive in LePage, and Patterson followed with her second single of the game to score Sims.

The Tigers rallied right back to tie the game at two apiece in the top of the seventh on four singles, then took the lead in the top of the eighth on a two-run home run from pinch hitter Lindsey Garehime.

NC State will play 18/23 Missouri at 6 p.m. local time (8 p.m. eastern) at Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium this evening as the tournament continues.