No. 23 Wolfpack, Ervin Twins Pound Hokies at ACC Championship

Friday, May 12

Chapel Hill, N.C. (ACC Tournament)

8:00 PM

NC State

46-19

Virginia Tech

38-19

NC State

Virginia Tech

No. 23 Wolfpack, Ervin Twins Pound Hokies at ACC Championship

5/12/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

May 12, 2006

Box Score

Miranda Ervin went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a home run, and twin sister Shaina Ervin improved to 17-3 with a four-hitter as No. 23/22 NC State beat the Hokies, 7-2. The top-seeded Wolfpack roughed up Hokie starter Angela Tincher, as she gave up a season-high in hits (seven) and runs (5). Heather Gelbard hit her seventh home run of the season and Shanna Smith went 2-for-2 with two walks, a triple and her team-leading 26th steal of the season.

Shanna Smith and the Wolfpack threatened in the first as she drew a one-out walk and stole second. Tincher fanned Jen Chamberlin and Miranda Ervin to end the inning and strand Smith.

The Hokies loaded the bases with one out in the first on one hit, a hit batter and a fielder's choice. Shaina Ervin struck out Hoffman and got Walker to ground out to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.

The Wolfpack took the early lead in the third with two runs, as Shaina Ervin helped her cause by hitting the first pitch of the inning into left for a single. Beth Poore pinch ran and Gelbard and Smith hit back-to-back singles to load the bases for Miranda Ervin. Ervin smacked the first pitch she saw back up the middle for a two-run singles to plate Poore and Corona for a 2-0 lead.

NC State added its third run in the fifth after Smith walked and moved to third on Chamberlin's rip down the left field line that glanced off the third baseman's glove for a two-base error. With runners on second and third, Miranda Ervin singled to center to drive in her third run of the game, but Chamberlin was gunned down at the plate for the final out of the inning.

The Hokies loaded the bases in the sixth with one out and a scored a run on a ground out. Shaina Ervin induced a ground out and got a strikeout to end the inning with no further damage.

NC State answered back in the seventh in a big way, putting four runs on the board to blow the game open. Shaina Ervin had her second hit of the game, a double into right center to get things rolling. Gelbard chased Tincher, the 2006 ACC Player and Pitcher of the Year, with her seventh home run of the season for a 5-1 lead.

Katie Maynard came in to pitch and promptly gave up Smith's fourth triple of the season. Chamberlin hit a sacrifice fly to the fence to score Smith for a 6-1 lead, and Miranda Ervin followed with her third home run of the ACC Championship to make it 7-1.

In the seventh, Kelsy Rokey homered to left to trim the lead to 7-2, but Shaina Ervin retired three of the next four batters to end the game.

Miranda Ervin has three home runs and a championship-leading nine RBIs after tying a ACC Championship record with five RBIs in game one against Boston College this postseason.

The Wolfpack returns to the field tomorrow at 11 a.m. for a matchup with the North Carolina Tar Heels. NC State has to beat the Tar Heels twice tomorrow to advance to the championship game on Sunday against either Florida State or Georgia Tech.