North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Rallies Past East Carolina in 10 Innings
3/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
McConnell gave up just two hits, two walks and struck out one to close the game as the Wolfpack bullpen allowed just three hits and no runs in the final five innings. Wolfpack starter Andrew Brackman went five innings and was tagged with four runs on six hits. He struck out six Pirates but tied a career-high by walking five batters.
Dustin Sasser started for the Pirates and lasted 5 2/3 innings and gave up four runs on five hits while walking three and fanning two batters.
Ryan Howard hit a two-run homerun in the sixth during the game tying rally and nine different Wolfpack batters combined for 10 hits on the afternoon.
The Pirates jumped on Brackman in the third inning by hitting two home runs, the first given up by Brackman all season. Harrison Eldridge hit a two-run shot to right field after Ryan Wood walked to start the inning. Brandon Henderson homered to left two batters later to stake the Pirates to a 3-0 advantage.
The Wolfpack would get a run back in the top of the fifth when Matt Payne hit a one-out triple to right centerfield, his first extra-base hit of the season. Drew Martin chopped a RBI groundout to second base to trim the lead to 3-1.
ECU pushed its lead back to three in the bottom half of the inning as Stephen Batts hit a one-out triple down the left field line to get things going. Corey Kemp singled to right to drive in Batts to make it 4-1. Jamie Ray and Broc Sutton drew two-out walks to load the bases, but Brackman fanned the last batter he would face to end the threat.
NC State would score three runs in the next half inning to tie the score as the bench continued to produce. Vince Gutierrez walked to start the inning and Ramon Corona struck out for the first out of the inning. Ryan Pond reached on a fielder’s choice with Gutierrez out at second on the play. Howard then followed with his first home run of the season to right field to make it 4-3. Caleb Mangum singled and Marcus Jones walked as Sasser was pulled in favor of Brett Butts.
Jeremy Synan worked the count full off of Butts before lacing a two-out RBI single into left to tie the game.
Andrew Taylor came on for the Pack and worked 2 1/3 innings, retiring six of the seven batters he faced. The first batter he faced, Eldridge, reached on an error but was promptly erased as NC State turned its first double play of the game.
The Pirates loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth off of McConnell as he gave up a leadoff single and walk to start the inning. After a Batts groundout advanced both runners a bag, McConnell got Jamie Ray to ground into an inning ending double play.
NC State used that momentum heading into the 10th, as Ramon Corona doubled to right field to start the inning. After Pond drew a walk, Pat Ferguson reached on a fielding error while attempting to sacrifice to load the bases with no outs. After a fielder’s choice and strikeout, Roskopf sliced a ball through the left side to plate Pond with the winning run.
Drew Schieber singled to start the bottom half of the 10th off of McConnell and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. With the winning run standing on second, McConnell struckout Eldridge and induced a groundout to short to end the game.
NC State will play Pepperdine in the final game of the Keith LeClair Classic at 11 am tomorrow in Greenville.s
