North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Downs Virginia Tech in Series Opener, 8-2
4/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BLACKSBURG, Va. The top line of the scoreboard looked like a picket fence. NC State scored single runs in every inning but the first on Friday, and Clayton Shunick and Joey Cutler limited Virginia Tech to a pair of runs as the Wolfpack defeated the Hokies 8-2 in the first game of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at English Field.
The Wolfpack extended its winning streak to five games, has won 12 of its last 14 games, and improved to 26-11 overall and 11-7 in the ACC. The Hokies fell to 16-22 and 3-16 in the ACC.
NC State took a 3-0 lead with runs in the second, third and fourth. Marcus Jones belted a one-out triple in the second and scored on Tommy Foschi’s two-out single up the middle. Dallas Poulk walked to lead off the third and scored all the way from first on Ryan Pond’s double down the left-field line. And Pat Ferguson led off the fourth with his sixth home run of the season, an opposite-field shot to left-center field.
Jose Cueto and Matt Blow pulled off a double steal in the bottom of the fourth to get the Hokies on the scoreboard, with Blow stealing second and Cueto scoring from third. The Wolfpack caught a break later in the inning when Tony Balisteri’s grounder went through Foschi’s legs and into left field for an error. Blow ignored the go signal from third-base coach Mike Gambino and stopped at third when he could have scored easily. Sean O’Brien flied out to center field to end the inning.
The run off the double steal was the only blemish on Wolfpack starter Clayton Shunick’s line for the evening, although he no doubt will have a bruise on his right thigh from the line drive that Sean Ryan hit back to the mound in the top of the first. Shunick (4-4) was visibly shaken, but went on to work five innings and allowed just the one run on five hits. He walked two, and did not have his strikeout pitch, the split-finger fastball, working, as he recorded only one out on strikes.
Pond got the fifth started for NC State with a one-out single past third base and went to third on Matt Payne’s single up the middle. Jeremy Synan bounced into a force play, erasing Payne at second base, but Pond scored on the play to make it 4-1.
Joey Cutler came in to pitch for the Wolfpack to begin the sixth inning and worked the final four innings to earn his first save of the season. Cutler allowed a run on four hits, struck out three and did not allow a walk.
Meanwhile, the Wolfpack kept on scoring a run per inning. Ferguson and Stanley led off the top of the sixth with doubles top left field, scoring Ferguson. Pond led off the seventh and was hit by a pitch. Payne followed with a double to left-center, and Pond scored all the way from first to give the Pack a 6-1 lead.
Payne’s double was the end of the line for Virginia Tech starter Rhett Ballard (2-4), who took the loss after allowing six runs on nine hits in six-plus innings. He walked one and struck out three.
Ryan led off the bottom of the seventh for Virginia Tech by beating out a bunt single and went to third on Anthony Sosnoskie’s single down the line in right. Klint Reed’s sacrifice fly to center field drove in Ryan and cut the NC State lead to four runs at 6-2.
The Pack made it a five-run lead again with another one-run inning in the eighth on a double by Nick Stanley and walks to Foschi, Poulk and Payne, and then made it a six-run lead with an unearned run in the ninth. Jones led off with a single and stole second. Stanley grounded to shortstop, but Balisteri’s throw skipped past first base, allowing Jones to score from second.
NC State and Virginia Tech will play the second game of this weekend’s three-game ACC series on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM (88.1) and on the internet at gopack.com through the Pack Pass package.
The Wolfpack extended its winning streak to five games, has won 12 of its last 14 games, and improved to 26-11 overall and 11-7 in the ACC. The Hokies fell to 16-22 and 3-16 in the ACC.
NC State took a 3-0 lead with runs in the second, third and fourth. Marcus Jones belted a one-out triple in the second and scored on Tommy Foschi’s two-out single up the middle. Dallas Poulk walked to lead off the third and scored all the way from first on Ryan Pond’s double down the left-field line. And Pat Ferguson led off the fourth with his sixth home run of the season, an opposite-field shot to left-center field.
Jose Cueto and Matt Blow pulled off a double steal in the bottom of the fourth to get the Hokies on the scoreboard, with Blow stealing second and Cueto scoring from third. The Wolfpack caught a break later in the inning when Tony Balisteri’s grounder went through Foschi’s legs and into left field for an error. Blow ignored the go signal from third-base coach Mike Gambino and stopped at third when he could have scored easily. Sean O’Brien flied out to center field to end the inning.
The run off the double steal was the only blemish on Wolfpack starter Clayton Shunick’s line for the evening, although he no doubt will have a bruise on his right thigh from the line drive that Sean Ryan hit back to the mound in the top of the first. Shunick (4-4) was visibly shaken, but went on to work five innings and allowed just the one run on five hits. He walked two, and did not have his strikeout pitch, the split-finger fastball, working, as he recorded only one out on strikes.
Pond got the fifth started for NC State with a one-out single past third base and went to third on Matt Payne’s single up the middle. Jeremy Synan bounced into a force play, erasing Payne at second base, but Pond scored on the play to make it 4-1.
Joey Cutler came in to pitch for the Wolfpack to begin the sixth inning and worked the final four innings to earn his first save of the season. Cutler allowed a run on four hits, struck out three and did not allow a walk.
Meanwhile, the Wolfpack kept on scoring a run per inning. Ferguson and Stanley led off the top of the sixth with doubles top left field, scoring Ferguson. Pond led off the seventh and was hit by a pitch. Payne followed with a double to left-center, and Pond scored all the way from first to give the Pack a 6-1 lead.
Payne’s double was the end of the line for Virginia Tech starter Rhett Ballard (2-4), who took the loss after allowing six runs on nine hits in six-plus innings. He walked one and struck out three.
Ryan led off the bottom of the seventh for Virginia Tech by beating out a bunt single and went to third on Anthony Sosnoskie’s single down the line in right. Klint Reed’s sacrifice fly to center field drove in Ryan and cut the NC State lead to four runs at 6-2.
The Pack made it a five-run lead again with another one-run inning in the eighth on a double by Nick Stanley and walks to Foschi, Poulk and Payne, and then made it a six-run lead with an unearned run in the ninth. Jones led off with a single and stole second. Stanley grounded to shortstop, but Balisteri’s throw skipped past first base, allowing Jones to score from second.
NC State and Virginia Tech will play the second game of this weekend’s three-game ACC series on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM (88.1) and on the internet at gopack.com through the Pack Pass package.
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