Wolfpack Softball Splits Doublheader with Hokies

Saturday, March 25

Raleigh, N.C.

1:00 PM

NC State

27-11, 3-1

Virginia Tech

22-7, 3-1

Virginia Tech

NC State

Wolfpack Softball Splits Doublheader with Hokies

3/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

March 25, 2006

Box Score

NC State softball (28-11, 4-1 ACC) split a doubleheader with Virginia Tech (22-8, 3-2 ACC) on Saturday for the beginning of a three-game conference series in Raleigh, N.C. Jen Chamberlin hit her sixth home run of the season in game one as NC State fell 3-2, and Shaina Ervin tossed a two-hit shutout in five innings in the 8-0 thrashing of the Hokies in game two. Shanna Smith went 3-for-3 with four RBIs and a home run and Heather Gelbard had three RBIs in game two for the Wolfpack offense.

Both teams go head-to-head on Sunday at 1 p.m. out at Walnut Creek Softball Complex for the final game of the three-game set.

In the previous meeting this season between the two teams, NC State won 1-0 over Angela Tincher as Abbie Sims took the win. The first game of this doubleheader started out the exact opposite for both pitchers, with five combined runs being scored in the first stanza.

Sims (14-6) walked the leadoff batter of the game, Callie Rhodes, before Erin Ota singled to put two on. After a popup from Kelly Brown, Stephanie Savre hit a towering home run to left for a 3-0 Hokie lead.

NC State responded in the bottom half of the inning after Smith walked with one out. Chamberlin hit her sixth home run of the season to trim the lead to 3-2, but Tincher (13-2) struck out 13 and held NC State at bay the rest of the game.

Game two was all Wolfpack. The offense exploded against Hokie starter Katie Maynard (9-6), pounding out eight hits, eight runs and six walks in only five innings in a run-rule shortened game.

Smith singled with one out for the first of her three hits in the game, and hustled to third on a groundout from Chamberlin. Miranda Ervin grounded over to short and reached on an error with Smith coming in to score.

Two more Wolfpack runs went on the board in the second for a 3-0 lead thanks to RBI singles from Gelbard and Smith with Ashleigh Davis and Tess Corona scoring on back-to-back plays.

Meanwhile the Hokie bats were kept at bay by the pitching of Shaina Ervin (8-2), who allowed just the two hits, both singles. She struck out six batters and twice loaded the bases with one out only to pitch her way out of the threats.

The game would end in the bottom of the fifth with five more Pack runs on two hits. Lisa Nentwig walked with one out, Davis walked with two outs and Corona was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Gelbard singled to right centerfield to drive in a pair of runs to bring up Smith for the third time in the game. She connected on a pitch and sent it deep to left for a three-run jack, her second of the year, for the final 8-0 margin.

Smith leads the team in average in conference play, hitting .500 (6-of-12) with a triple, two home runs, six runs scored and a team-leading seven RBIs.