North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Splits Doubleheader With Appalachian St.
2/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. NC State split its 2008 opening day doubleheader with Appalachian State Saturday afternoon, winning game one 8-1, but falling in defeat, 7-5, in the second contest at Doak Field at Dail Park. The Wolfpack and Mountaineers both move to 1-1 on the season.
The win in game one improved NC State’s season-opening game winning streak to eight consecutive games. The Wolfpack last lost an opener in 2000, a 10-2 loss to East Carolina in Charleston, S.C.
Ryan Pond led the Wolfpack offensively on the day, going a combined 4-for-8 with a solo home run and three runs scored. Pat Ferguson also had a solid day, going 3-for-7 with a three-run homer, two walks, four RBIs and a run scored. Meanwhile, Dallas Poulk entered the day on a 17-game hitting streak dating back to the end of the 2007 season. He kept that streak intact, improving it to 19 straight games after going 3-for-8 with a double, a walk and three runs scored.
In the first game, NC State lefthander Eric Surkamp (1-0) picked up the win after pitching four innings of scoreless, two-hit baseball. He walked four and struck out four. Mountaineers starter Josh Dowdy (0-1) took the loss after allowing seven runs, all earned, on eight hits in three innings worked. He walked four and struck out two.
Surkamp worked his way out of a jam to start the third. With both teams scoreless, Appalachian State’s Adam Beasley led off with a walk and then went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rand Smith. An infield single by Jason Altenhof put runners on the corners with one out. Surkamp then struck out Nick DeRose and got David Rubinstein to fly out to center to get out of the inning.
The Wolfpack rallied behind its pitcher and got on the board offensively in the bottom of the third. Dallas Poulk led off with a single to second baseman Wes Hobson. Nick Stanley connected on a double to left-center field that put runners in scoring position for NC State. One out later, Pat Ferguson homered on the first pitch to left, giving the Wolfpack a 3-0 lead.
The Mountaineers appeared they would answer in the fourth, but a rare triple play kept the Wolfpack lead intact. Surkamp hit Andrew Franco to start. Franco then stole second and reached third on a single to left-center by Brett Stewart. A wild pitch by Surkamp allowed Stewart to move over to second and a walk to Isaac Harrow loaded the bases with none out. Then, Hobson lined into a 6-4-5-3 triple play to end the top half of the inning.
NC State added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth. Tommy Foschi singled through the left side, followed by a single through the right side by Poulk to give the Wolfpack runners on first and second. A balk by Dowdy moved the runners over and a walk issued to Stanley loaded the bags. Marcus Jones connected on a two-RBI single up the middle that scored Foschi and Poulk and advanced Stanley to second.
That would be all for Dowdy, who gave way to Zach Quate. Ferguson continued his offensive outing with a single up the middle that scored Stanley and advanced Jones to third. A sacrifice fly to left by Matt Payne saw Jones cross the plate and the Wolfpack lead improve to 7-0.
Appalachian State would end the shutout in the fifth. Beasley led off with a single up the middle. A fielding error by Foschi put Smith on first and Beasley at second. Beasley advanced to third on a fielder’s choice by Altenhof and then a groundout to short by DeRose scored Beasley. The Wolfpack tacked on another run in the bottom of the seventh to put the game out of reach at 8-1.
Down 1-0 early in game two, Jones connected on a one-out single to third base in the bottom of the first. A single through the left side by Pond put runners on first and second and a walk by starter Nick Terry to Ferguson loaded the bags. Payne singled off Terry next, scoring Jones, while Pond crossed the plate on the throw to make it 2-1 in favor of the Wolfpack.
The Mountaineers answered in the second. With one out and one on, Smith doubled down the left-field line to score DeRose and knot the score up at 2-2.
After a home run by Pond in the third and an answer by Appalachian State in the top half of the fourth, NC State broke through again in the bottom of the fourth. Russell Wilson doubled to left off reliever Matt Andress, advanced to third on a flyout by Chris Schaeffer and scored off a single to left by Tommy Foschi to put the Wolfpack up 4-3.
The seesaw battle continued in the sixth when Altenhof singled through the right side to score Jerod Faggart from second. Another Appalachian State run would come in off a wild pitch by reliever Alex Sogard to give the Mountaineers a 5-4 advantage. Sogard intentionally waalked Rubinstein and then walked Franco to load the bases. NC State reliever Kyle Rutter entered, but an error by Payne allowed Isaac Harrow to reach and Altenhof to score. That gave way to another Wolfpack reliever, Jimmy Gillheeney, who hit pinch hitter Brett Stewart to force another run across the plate. Gillheeney then got Faggart to strike out, leaving the score at 7-4 Mountaineers.
NC State would get one back in the bottom of the seventh when Poulk his hitting streak alive with a double to left-center. A wild pitch by reliever Matt Andress moved Poulk over to third and a sacrifice fly to center by Jones moved him across home plate.
Andress (1-0) earned the win for the Mountaineers after pitching 3 1/3 innings, allowing only one earned run off one hit, walking none and striking out four. Meanwhile, Appalachian State closer Garrett Sherrill earned his first save of the season working the final inning of scoreless baseball, while striking out two. NC State’s Alex Sogard was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs, two earned, on five hits in 2 1/3 innings of work. He walked two and struck out three.
NC State and Appalachian State will complete the series on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. WKNC-FM (88.1) will broadcast the game live. The broadcast will be available online at gopack.com.
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The win in game one improved NC State’s season-opening game winning streak to eight consecutive games. The Wolfpack last lost an opener in 2000, a 10-2 loss to East Carolina in Charleston, S.C.
Ryan Pond led the Wolfpack offensively on the day, going a combined 4-for-8 with a solo home run and three runs scored. Pat Ferguson also had a solid day, going 3-for-7 with a three-run homer, two walks, four RBIs and a run scored. Meanwhile, Dallas Poulk entered the day on a 17-game hitting streak dating back to the end of the 2007 season. He kept that streak intact, improving it to 19 straight games after going 3-for-8 with a double, a walk and three runs scored.
In the first game, NC State lefthander Eric Surkamp (1-0) picked up the win after pitching four innings of scoreless, two-hit baseball. He walked four and struck out four. Mountaineers starter Josh Dowdy (0-1) took the loss after allowing seven runs, all earned, on eight hits in three innings worked. He walked four and struck out two.
Surkamp worked his way out of a jam to start the third. With both teams scoreless, Appalachian State’s Adam Beasley led off with a walk and then went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rand Smith. An infield single by Jason Altenhof put runners on the corners with one out. Surkamp then struck out Nick DeRose and got David Rubinstein to fly out to center to get out of the inning.
The Wolfpack rallied behind its pitcher and got on the board offensively in the bottom of the third. Dallas Poulk led off with a single to second baseman Wes Hobson. Nick Stanley connected on a double to left-center field that put runners in scoring position for NC State. One out later, Pat Ferguson homered on the first pitch to left, giving the Wolfpack a 3-0 lead.
The Mountaineers appeared they would answer in the fourth, but a rare triple play kept the Wolfpack lead intact. Surkamp hit Andrew Franco to start. Franco then stole second and reached third on a single to left-center by Brett Stewart. A wild pitch by Surkamp allowed Stewart to move over to second and a walk to Isaac Harrow loaded the bases with none out. Then, Hobson lined into a 6-4-5-3 triple play to end the top half of the inning.
NC State added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth. Tommy Foschi singled through the left side, followed by a single through the right side by Poulk to give the Wolfpack runners on first and second. A balk by Dowdy moved the runners over and a walk issued to Stanley loaded the bags. Marcus Jones connected on a two-RBI single up the middle that scored Foschi and Poulk and advanced Stanley to second.
That would be all for Dowdy, who gave way to Zach Quate. Ferguson continued his offensive outing with a single up the middle that scored Stanley and advanced Jones to third. A sacrifice fly to left by Matt Payne saw Jones cross the plate and the Wolfpack lead improve to 7-0.
Appalachian State would end the shutout in the fifth. Beasley led off with a single up the middle. A fielding error by Foschi put Smith on first and Beasley at second. Beasley advanced to third on a fielder’s choice by Altenhof and then a groundout to short by DeRose scored Beasley. The Wolfpack tacked on another run in the bottom of the seventh to put the game out of reach at 8-1.
Down 1-0 early in game two, Jones connected on a one-out single to third base in the bottom of the first. A single through the left side by Pond put runners on first and second and a walk by starter Nick Terry to Ferguson loaded the bags. Payne singled off Terry next, scoring Jones, while Pond crossed the plate on the throw to make it 2-1 in favor of the Wolfpack.
The Mountaineers answered in the second. With one out and one on, Smith doubled down the left-field line to score DeRose and knot the score up at 2-2.
After a home run by Pond in the third and an answer by Appalachian State in the top half of the fourth, NC State broke through again in the bottom of the fourth. Russell Wilson doubled to left off reliever Matt Andress, advanced to third on a flyout by Chris Schaeffer and scored off a single to left by Tommy Foschi to put the Wolfpack up 4-3.
The seesaw battle continued in the sixth when Altenhof singled through the right side to score Jerod Faggart from second. Another Appalachian State run would come in off a wild pitch by reliever Alex Sogard to give the Mountaineers a 5-4 advantage. Sogard intentionally waalked Rubinstein and then walked Franco to load the bases. NC State reliever Kyle Rutter entered, but an error by Payne allowed Isaac Harrow to reach and Altenhof to score. That gave way to another Wolfpack reliever, Jimmy Gillheeney, who hit pinch hitter Brett Stewart to force another run across the plate. Gillheeney then got Faggart to strike out, leaving the score at 7-4 Mountaineers.
NC State would get one back in the bottom of the seventh when Poulk his hitting streak alive with a double to left-center. A wild pitch by reliever Matt Andress moved Poulk over to third and a sacrifice fly to center by Jones moved him across home plate.
Andress (1-0) earned the win for the Mountaineers after pitching 3 1/3 innings, allowing only one earned run off one hit, walking none and striking out four. Meanwhile, Appalachian State closer Garrett Sherrill earned his first save of the season working the final inning of scoreless baseball, while striking out two. NC State’s Alex Sogard was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs, two earned, on five hits in 2 1/3 innings of work. He walked two and struck out three.
NC State and Appalachian State will complete the series on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. WKNC-FM (88.1) will broadcast the game live. The broadcast will be available online at gopack.com.
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