North Carolina State University Athletics
Surkamp Impressive In USA Baseball Victory
7/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Surkamp, who earned second-team All-ACC honors for NC State this past spring, walked four and struck out five, but was not around for the decision. That went to Peperdine’s Brett Hunter, who pitched the final 3 1/3 innings and benefited from Team USA’s dramatic ninth-inning rally.
With two down in the ninth inning, Pedro Alvarez of Vanderbilt doubled and Roger Kieschnick of Texas Tech singled to drive in two runs and give Team USA (20-7) the 2-1 victory in the second game of three-game series. The game was the first of a day-night doubleheader. The second game began at 5 p.m. at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
San Diego’s Josh Romanski started the rally with a one-out double and error to center off of closer Dave Drayer. Dayer then struck out Brett Wallace of Arizona State before giving up an 0-1 base hit to Alvarez, his third hit of the day.
Hunter (2-0) kept it close in relief, retiring the first seven batters he faced into the ninth, before retiring three straight to end the game and pick up the win.
Leon Boyd went the first six shutout innings for the Netherlands, allowing just two hits, both to Alvarez with two strikes, while leaving with a 1-0 lead. Boyd retired eight in a row early and then the final six Americans he faced. Michiel van Kampen pitched the next two scoreless innings, before yielding to Drayer in the ninth. Team USA managed just four hits over the first eight innings.
Surkamp was making his first appearance for Team USA after earning a call-up from the Cape Cod League earlier this week.
