NC State Bashes Maryland, 11-4

Friday, April 14

College Park, Md.

7:00 PM

NC State

28-10, 0

Maryland

16-21, 0

NC State

Maryland

4/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 14, 2006

Final Stats

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - NC State hit a season-high five home runs and banged out 17 hits Friday night to hand Maryland an 11-4 defeat in the first game of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference baseball series at Shipley Field.

The Wolfpack, which won for the seventh time in its last nine games overall and the sixth time in its last seven conference games, improved to 28-10 overall and 11-5 in the ACC. Maryland had its modest two-game winning streak snapped with the loss and fell to 16-21 overall and 6-13 in the conference.

Kyle Rutter (2-0), the fourth of five NC State pitchers employed on the night, got the win with two scoreless innings in relief. He allowed two hits, but did not issue a walk and struck out three. Maryland starter Casey Baron (1-4) took the loss. He pitched five innings and allowed five runs on 10 hits. He walked four and struck out one.

The top third of the NC State lineup did much of the damage against the Terrapins. Matt Camp, Ramon Corona and Aaron Bates each went 3-for-5 and each hit a home run. Camp and Bates had two RBIs apiece, and Corona drove in three.

The Wolfpack wasted no time against Baron. Camp led off the game with an infield single and Corona followed with a two-run homer to left field on a full-count fastball. Baron recovered to retire Bates and Jon Still, but with two outs Brian Aragon hit a solo shot, his team-leading seventh of the season, to make it 3-0.

Baron got through the second inning without further damage, but Bates led off the top of the third with a home run to right, his seventh, and Still followed with a first-pitch double up the gap in right-center. Aragon reached on an infield single, and Ryan Pond walked to load the bases with none out. Baron struck out Matt Mangini, but Caleb Mangum grounded into a force play, erasing Pond at second and driving in Still to make it 5-0, Wolfpack.

Maryland broke up NC State starter Andrew Brackman's no-hit bid and shutout in the bottom of the fifth. With one down, leadoff hitter Nick Jowers beat out a chopper to third base, and Gerry Spessard followed with a single up the middle. Brackman moved the runners to second and third with a wild pitch, then walked Chad Durakis to load the bases with one away. A wild pitch scored Jowers and moved the other two runners to second and third. Travis High was summoned from the bullpen to replace Brackman with a 3-1 count on Jordan Wilson. High completed the walk to Wilson to load the bases, but then got out of the inning by getting Jordan Wilson to ground to Jonathan Diaz, who started a 6-4-3 double play. Brackman worked 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits. He walked five and struck out four.

The Terps got another run in the bottom of the sixth. Consecutive one-out singles by Mike Murphy, Steve Braun and Dan Benick put the run across to trim the lead to 5-2. Chris Engle came in from the bullpen to replace High, and retired Spessard on a hard-hit line drive to Camp in center field.

NC State added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the eighth. Camp drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on Corona's single up the middle. Corona took second on the throw to the plate and scored on Bates' double off the wall in right to push the lead to 7-2.

Caleb Mangum made it 8-2 with a one-out solo home run in the top of the ninth, and the Wolfpack was not done yet. Jonathan Diaz drew a walk and Camp hit the next pitch out to left-center for a two-run homer, making it 10-2. Bates singled to center with two down and went to third on Aaron Cone's single to right-center. Cone went to second when right fielder Dan Benick overran the ball for an error. Aragon followed with a pop-up that dropped untouched between shortstop Steve Braun and Murphy at third. Murphy was charged with the error, and Bates scored the unearned run on the play, making it 11-2.

Dan Melvin belted a one-out solo homer to straightaway center field in the bottom of the ninth, and two batters later, pinch-hitter Jason Von Behren ripped a solo blast to left-center, making the final score 11-4.

NC State and Maryland will play the second game of the series on Saturday at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM (88.1), and on-line at gopack.com through Yahoo's subscription service.