Softball Takes Dail Stadium Opener Over UNCG, 3-1

Wednesday, February 27

Raleigh, N.C.

3:00 PM

NC State

7-8

UNC Greensboro

7-7

UNC Greensboro

NC State

Softball Takes Dail Stadium Opener Over UNCG, 3-1

2/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

RALEIGH, N.C. NC State got the storybook ending it wanted to one of the most important days in program history with a 3-1 win over UNC Greensboro on Wednesday, Feb. 27. On a chilly afternoon that saw the Pack take the field at the Curtis & Jacqueline Dail Softball Stadium for the first time, State was able to shake off the cold and pre-game jitters to christen its new home with a win.

“Today was a great day for this program,” said head coach Lisa Navas, who has been guiding the ship since day one. “I was so proud to take the field today with this team. We are so thankful to the Dail’s, the administration and the entire athletics department, and everyone who helped turn this into a reality.

“We appreciate the help that we get from all of our support staff, and we were very excited at the great turnout today of fellow athletics staff, friends, family and the Wolfpack fans that have been following us for years now. I was especially thrilled to have so many of our former players in attendance, because it’s so important for everyone to realize how crucial they are to everything that we enjoy today.”

The win moves the red and white to 7-8 on the year, while UNCG slides to 7-7. Lindsay Campana (3-6) picked up the decision, tossing five one-hit innings while picking up three strikeouts. Amber Harrell (4-4) was stuck with the loss.

Mary Greenway got the game started with the first hit in Dail Stadium history, a double to left-center, and took to third on a sac-bunt from Whitney Miller. Campana responded by catching Brittany Ausley looking, and then forced a groundout from Whitney Sirois, to get out of the inning without any damage.

State loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, but wasn’t able to send any runs across the plate. Allison Presnell drew a leadoff walk, and Lacey Holm followed with the first Wolfpack hit at Dail Stadium, a bloop single into shallow left. A pitch to load the bags later hit Claudia Cooper, but Kristine Bechtholdt popped up to second and Blair Harkey went down on strikes.

The Pack had another opportunity in the bottom of the third, but just couldn’t convert. Ashleigh Davis reached first on a fielder's choice, and Alyssa Allbritten followed with a double to the wall in right, putting runners on second and third with one down. But Harrell fanned both Presnell and Holm to escape the jam.

Some sensational glove work in the Wolfpack outfield kept the Spartans from putting anyone on base in the top of the fourth. Sirois nearly dropped a blooper into shallow right by the line, but Bechtholdt made a diving grab to keep her off. Mary Catherine Vercoe gave Bechtholdt another test with a line drive back to right, which she pulled in. Kristen Gabel tried to find some grass between center and right, but Harkey snuck in to pull down the third and final out.

The Wolfpack offense finally got things going, thanks in part to some shoddy UNCG defense, in the bottom of the fifth. Allbritten walked and moved to second on a groundout from Presnell, and Holm followed with a grounder to third. But Kayla Hensley’s throw sailed wide of first, allowing Holm to reach and Allbritten to move to third.

Allbritten scored the first run at the new yard on a wild pitch to Ishibashi, putting the Pack up 1-0. Shortly thereafter, State struck again when Bechtholdt sent a pop fly to third, which Hensley dropped, allowing Holm to score. Harkey followed with a base hit to left that took a nasty bounce off of the grass, and Cooper hustled across the plate from second.

UNCG got its only run in the top of the sixth, scoring on a Sirois groundout. Mendy McKenzie took over in the circle at the start of the inning but struggled, giving up three walks.

State returns to the field this Friday, Feb. 29, at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga.