UNCW Tops NC State, 5-3

Wednesday, May 10

Wilmington, N.C.

7:00 PM

NC State

33-16

UNC-Wilmington

34-16

NC State

UNC Wilmington

5/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

May 10, 2006

Final Stats

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Jonathan Batts belted a tiebreaking solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning and three UNC Wilmington pitchers combined to frustrate NC State, which stranded 15 runners, 10 of them in scoring position, and took a 5-3 loss to the Seahawks on Wednesday night at Brooks Field. UNCW improved to 34-16 with the win, while the 16th-ranked Wolfpack lost for the sixth time in its last eight games and fell to 33-16.

Blake Hundley (1-0) got the win for the Seahawks after allowing one unearned run on four hits in 2 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out one. Adam Paul picked up his ninth save with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed two hits, walked one and struck out three. Joey Cutler (1-2) took the loss for NC State despite pitching brilliantly in relief. Cutler threw 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on one hit. He walked one and fanned six.

Batts went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs for the Seahawks to lead all offensive performers. John Raynor also drove in two runs with a double in four trips to the plate. Brian Aragon went 3-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Wolfpack. Matt Camp and Ryan Pond also had a pair of hits apiece, and Camp and Ramon Corona drove in runs for the Pack.

The Seahawks went to work right from the outset against NC State starter Branden Knapp, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. With one away, Daniel Hargrave and Matt Poulk hit consecutive singles to center field. Hargrave stole third on a failed pickoff attempt at first base, and Raynor drove in both runners with a double over Pond's head in left field. Batts made it 3-0 with an RBI-single to center. That was it for Knapp. Cutler was summoned from the bullpen and promptly retired Justin Barefoot on a fly ball to right and Grayson Evans on a grounder to first base.

Aragon stroked a one-out single in the top of the fourth and Aaron Cone walked. Hundley came in Seahwks starter Jared Sutton and walked Jonathan Diaz to load the bases for Matt Camp, who singled up the middle to drive in Aragon and get the Wolfpack on the scoreboard at 3-1. Corona hit a chopper to third base that Poulk dropped for an error. Cone scored on the play to cut the UNCW lead to a run at 3-2.

Jon Still led off the top of the fifth and was safe at first when Poulk threw Still's grounder away for another error. Matt Mangini reached on a one-out infield single to put runners on first and second. Aragon's double to left-center drove in Still to tie the game at 3-3.

After getting out of the first inning, Cutler smothered the UNCW offense, retiring 16 of 17 Seahawks hitters and not allowing a hit until Batts belted his two-out solo homer to dead center field in the bottom of the sixth inning. That broke the deadlock and gave UNC Wilmington a 4-3 lead.

Cutler came out after the sixth, and the Seahawks picked up a run off reliever Jason Duncan. Evans led off with a single to shallow left-center, then was out at second on Kenny Smith's sacrifice attempt. The botched sacrifice became a moot point when Michael Marbry doubled to right-center, driving in Smith to give the Seahawks an insurance run and a 5-3 lead.

The Wolfpack will take Thursday off to travel to Blacksburg, Va., to play Virginia Tech in a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series. Game times will be 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday. All three games will be carried live on WKNC-FM (88.1) and online at gopack.com.