North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Takes Game One From Valparaiso, 9-0
3/13/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State took the opener of a two-game set from Valparaiso, 9-0, on Tuesday, March 13, at Doak Field at Dail Park. The Pack offense generated its runs on 17 hits and two Valpo errors, while a trio of State hurlers held the Crusaders to a paltry two hits. Jeremy Synan and Ramon Corona both went 4-for-4 from the plate. With the win, the Wolfpack moves to 13-6 on the campaign, as Valparaiso slides to 2-8.
Joe Florio led off the bottom of the first inning with a single up the middle. Vince Gutierrez moved Florio to second base with a groundout to first, and Ryan Pond drove him home with a single through the left side of the infield. Synan singled up the middle to put runners on the corners with one out. Synan stole second, and Corona drove in both runners with a double down the right-field line to make it 3-0.
The Pack added another run on three consecutive hits in the bottom of the third. Synan singled up the middle and moved to second when Corona followed with a base hit through the left side. Pat Ferguson loaded the bases with a single through the right side, before Synan scored on a sac-fly from Caleb Mangum.
Head coach Elliot Avent made some defensive adjustments in the top of the sixth, putting Joey Cutler on the mound and moving Matt Payne to right. Cutler promptly retired the side in order, fanning John Giusti, and getting Jeff Rickert to ground out to short and Michael Arensdorf to pop up to second.
The Crusaders made a pitching change of its own in the bottom of the inning, opting to throw Patrick Bracco. Marcus Jones greeted him with a single right, and Florio followed with a bunt single towards second. Jones was then forced out at third on a fielder’s choice bunt to short by Gutierrez. Payne knocked Florio in during the next at-bat with a single through the left side, and Synan followed by scoring Gutierrez with a single through the ride side. A Corona sac-fly to deep center allowed Payne to trot in from third, moving the score to 7-0.
Avent continued to tinker with the defense in the top of the seventh, placing Tommy Foschi at second and putting David Lindsay behind the plate. Cutler again kept Valparaiso from putting a runner on base.
Ranko Ivetic took the ball for the Crusaders in the bottom of the seventh, keeping the Pack from reaching base for the first time during the game.
Valpo got a double from Ryan Manthei to start the eighth, but he was left stranded as Cutler retired the next three batters.
The Pack staged a three-hit two-run rally with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Foschi singled to left and then advanced to second on a wild pitch before Payne got drilled by a pitch. Synan juiced the bases with an infield single to second, and Corona knocked in Foschi and kept the bases loaded with a base hit through the left side. Synan then scored on a Mike Roskopf groundout to second.
Eryk McConnell closed the door for the Wolfpack in the ninth with his ninth appearance of the season, taking down the Crusaders one-two-three.
Nate Karns (1-1) retired 16 of the 17 batters that he faced on 68 pitches to earn the win. He collected seven strikeouts without issuing any walks or runs in five innings of work. NC State pitchers have now had more than seven strikeouts in a game on four occasions this season. Andrew Brackman, Eric Surkamp and Clayton Shunick have each completed the feat in addition to Karns.
Harvey Yergin (0-1) was credited with the loss, allowing four earned runs and 10 hits in five innings of work.
NC State and Valparaiso will play the final game of their two-game series Wednesday, March 14, at 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC (88.1 FM) and on-line at gopack.com through Pack Pass.
