Softball Shuts Out Syracuse, 2-0

Friday, February 29

Columbus, Ga.

4:00 PM

NC State

8-9

Syracuse

0-9

NC State

Syracuse

2/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ga. Mendy McKenzie (5-2) held Syracuse to five hits as two long balls led NC State past the Orange, 2-0, on Friday, Feb. 29, at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. Alyssa Allbritten carried the Wolfpack offense with a home run and a double.

The win moves the Pack to 8-9 on the year, while Syracuse falls to 0-9.

Chanel Roehner (0-4) took the loss for the Orange. McKenize picked up five k’s and issued just one walk from the circle for the red and white.

Shanna Smith showed off some sensational glove work in the bottom of the third, playing a hand in the retirement of each Syracuse batter. Rachel Helman and Lindsay Wasek sent sharp back-to-back grounders to short, before Smith snagged a liner off of Jamie Kelling’s bat to end the inning.

State entered the top of the fourth without any hits or runs to its credit, but that all changed with two swings of the bat. Allbritten drove the second pitch of the inning over the fence in left, and Kristine Bechtholdt mashed her first homer of the year, again to left, later in the inning.

McKenzie just barely grazed Roehner with a pitch to start the bottom of the fourth. But Hallie Gibbs followed by flying out to deep right, and Bechtholdt doubled-up Roehner with a throw back to Lisa Nentwig at first. McKenzie finished off the frame by catching Rachel Tilford on three swings.

State returns to the field at the NFCA Leadoff Classic tomorrow, Saturday, March 1, with two more games. The Pack will face UC Santa Barbara at 11 a.m., before squaring off against No. 11 Michigan at 1:30 p.m.