North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Takes Series From Miami, 19-9
4/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Wolfpack, which won the first game of the series 5-3 in 13 innings, won the series two games to one and improved to 26-11 overall and 11-7 in the ACC. Miami fell to 22-16 and 8-10.
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Andrew Taylor (2-1), the second of five NC State pitchers, got the win with 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief. He allowed three hits, walked one and struck out four. Miami starter John Housey (0-2) took the loss after pitching just one inning. He allowed three runs on three hits and did not allow a walk or strike out a batter.
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Marcus Jones, wearing uniform No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson on the 60th anniversary of Robinson breaking Major League Baseball’s color line, went 4-for-6 and drove in three runs to lead the NC State offense. Jeremy Synan went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs. Ryan Pond had three hits and three RBIs in four at-bats. Drew Martin had two hits, including a homer, and three RBIs. Dallas poulk had three hits and two RBIs.
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The wind played a role from the start, especially in the early innings. With one down in the top of the first, Ramon Corona rolled a single through the left side of the infield and Synan hit a long two-run homer to right-center. One out later, Pat Ferguson hit one to straightaway center field, halfway up the 40-foot-high batter’s eye, giving the Wolfpack a 3-0 lead.
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Alex Koronis took over on the mound for Miami to start the second, but it was more of the same. Pond led off and belted a double off the base of the wall in left-center. Poulk’s grounder to second base moved Pond to third, and Martin’s second homer in as many weekends made it 5-0. Jones followed with a walk and went to second on a wild pitch. Corona singled through the left side to put runners on the corners with one down. Synan singled to right to drive in Jones and make it 6-0, and Mike Roskopf singled to right to load the bases for Ferguson, who walked to force in a run.
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That was all for Koronis. David Gutierrez came and immediately walked Mangum to force in another run, and Pond’s sacrifice fly to left sent Roskopf home to make it 9-0.
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The Hurricanes got right back in the game in the bottom of the third. Ryan Jackson and Blake Tekotte led off with back-to-back doubles to left-center to put Miami on the scoreboard. Roger Tomas singled to left to put runners on the corners with none out for Yonder Alonso, who blooped a single into shallow left to drive in Tekotte and send Tomas to third. Mark Sobolewski walked to load the bases.
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That was all for Gillheeney. Kyle Rutter got the call and Gus Menendez belted a sacrifice fly to center and Dennis Raben followed with a three-run homer to right to cut the lead to 9-6.
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With the storm approaching, the Wolfpack put together another rally in the top of the fourth. Roskopf led off with a single up the middle and Mangum hit a one-out single to left. Pond sliced a ball down the right-field line that fell just fair for a double, with both runners scoring on the play to make it 11-6. Poulk beat out a bunt for a single that put runners on first and third with one out, and Martin singled to center to drive in Pond and make it 12-6. Jones hit a high chopper to second base and beat it out for an infield single that loaded the bases. A wild pitch moved up all three runners, with Poulk scoring. Corona singled to left to drive in Pond and give the Wolfpack a 14-6 lead.
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The Wolfpack added two more runs in the top of the sixth. Poulk led off with a single through the right side and Jones hit a two-run homer to right-center to make it 16-6.
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Ferguson led off the top of the seventh and walked. Mangum reached on an error and Pond singled past third base to load the bases with none out. Poulk laced a double into the gap in right-center to drive in Ferguson and Mangum to give the Wolfpack a two-touchdown lead at 18-6.
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The Hurricanes scored two in the bottom of the eighth. Jonathan Weislow reached on a one-out infield single and Nick Freitas walked. The runners pulled a double-steal to advance to second and third, then scored on Jackson’s single up the middle.
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The Wolfpack came back with a run in the top of the ninth. Joe Florio led off with a single to center field and took second on a groundout. Tommy Foschi walked, and Jones made it 19-8 with an RBI-single to shallow right-center.
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Sobolewski hit a two-out single through the right side in the bottom of the ninth and went to second on a wild pitch. Ben Vazquez singled to left-center to drive in Sobolewski and cut the Wolfpack lead to 19-9.
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NC State will return to action on Wednesday with a home game against Davidson. Game time is 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC, 88.1 FM, and will be available on-line on gopack.com through Pack Pass.
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