North Carolina State University Athletics
Let's Play Two: Softball Heads to Elon on Thursday
4/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
RALEIGH, N.C. NC State will venture to Elon University for two games tomorrow, Thursday, April 3, in Elon, N.C. The Pack and the Phoenix will meet at 4 p.m., with game two coming around 6 p.m. Live stats for both contests will be available on GoPack.com.
The meeting between the two programs will finally come to fruition after the originally scheduled Feb. 21 date was cancelled due to weather concerns.
Elon holds a 5-4 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools. State dropped the first five games between the two but have since won four-straight, including a two-game sweep a year ago in Raleigh.
The Pack will head up I-40 for Thursday’s out of conference meeting with a 19-18 overall record. The red and white post a 16-12 record this season versus non-ACC squads, with solid road wins at Central Florida, College of Charleston and Georgia State (which leads the country in batting average).
Shanna Smith and Alyssa Allbritten absolutely sizzled at the plate for State last week in two games against Winthrop and three more at Virginia. In five games Smith batted .421 with eight hits, seven RBIs, seven stolen bases in as many attempts, five runs scored, two home runs and a triple. Allbritten, who continues to lead the team in batting average (.333) and RBIs (22), demolished two long balls in Charlottesville this past Sunday.
Both Smith and Allbritten’s offensive production has them set on the path of etching their names in State’s historical annuals by seasons end. Smith’s 21 stolen bags are just five short of the single season record of 26, which she set in 2006. Allbritten is just one double away from setting a new school record for two-baggers in a single season. Heather Gelbard knocked 13 in the program’s inaugural year, 2004.
Bridget Desbois, who has started four-straight games and five of six overall, has done an admirable job of stepping up, making a difference and earning playing time at third base. She carries a five-game hitting streak into the Elon series, and has been defensively sound at the hot corner. Her two errors on the ’08 campaign are the fewest among the four Wolfpack players that have spent time at the position this season.
The Pack certainly had an influx of the long ball last week, pounding out six dingers in five games, with Allbritten, Smith and Kristine Bechtholdt launching two each. State has 17 home runs on the season total, so last week’s power surge is a welcome addition to the fray.
In the circle, Lindsay Campana (10-13) and Mendy McKenzie (9-5) have been about as dependable as you could ask for. Campana, armed with a 2.01 ERA, has won six of her last nine decisions and her 142 K’s are second amongst all ACC hurlers. McKenzie had a whirlwind showing last week, tossing a perfect game against Winthrop and coming one out away from picking up another no-hitter at UVa. In three appearances she tossed 17.1 innings, 12-consecutive that were hitless, allowing just one earned run and seven hits.
Elon greets the Pack at 15-14, having dropped five of its last six. Tracey Dahlen (.356) and Melanie Helterbran (.320) front the Phoenix offense, with Dahlen leading the team in hits (31) and Helterbran serving as a home run threat (6 HR, 21 RBIs). Helterbran (5-4, 3.89 ERA, 66.2 IP) has tossed most of the innings for Elon as well, but Pam DelPizzo (4-5, 2.58 ERA, 59.2 IP) isn’t far behind.
The Phoenix defense has kicked the ball around 48 times on the year, four more than the red and white.
State will return to the Curtis & Jacqueline Dail Softball Stadium in Raleigh this week for a three-game ACC affair with Georgia Tech. The Pack and Yellow Jackets will go head-to-head for two games on Saturday, April 5 beginning at 1 p.m., before wrapping up the series on Sunday, April 6 at 12 noon. Live stats will be available for all three games on GoPack.com. Live video streaming of Sunday’s bout will be available via ACCSelect.com.
The meeting between the two programs will finally come to fruition after the originally scheduled Feb. 21 date was cancelled due to weather concerns.
Elon holds a 5-4 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools. State dropped the first five games between the two but have since won four-straight, including a two-game sweep a year ago in Raleigh.
The Pack will head up I-40 for Thursday’s out of conference meeting with a 19-18 overall record. The red and white post a 16-12 record this season versus non-ACC squads, with solid road wins at Central Florida, College of Charleston and Georgia State (which leads the country in batting average).
Shanna Smith and Alyssa Allbritten absolutely sizzled at the plate for State last week in two games against Winthrop and three more at Virginia. In five games Smith batted .421 with eight hits, seven RBIs, seven stolen bases in as many attempts, five runs scored, two home runs and a triple. Allbritten, who continues to lead the team in batting average (.333) and RBIs (22), demolished two long balls in Charlottesville this past Sunday.
Both Smith and Allbritten’s offensive production has them set on the path of etching their names in State’s historical annuals by seasons end. Smith’s 21 stolen bags are just five short of the single season record of 26, which she set in 2006. Allbritten is just one double away from setting a new school record for two-baggers in a single season. Heather Gelbard knocked 13 in the program’s inaugural year, 2004.
Bridget Desbois, who has started four-straight games and five of six overall, has done an admirable job of stepping up, making a difference and earning playing time at third base. She carries a five-game hitting streak into the Elon series, and has been defensively sound at the hot corner. Her two errors on the ’08 campaign are the fewest among the four Wolfpack players that have spent time at the position this season.
The Pack certainly had an influx of the long ball last week, pounding out six dingers in five games, with Allbritten, Smith and Kristine Bechtholdt launching two each. State has 17 home runs on the season total, so last week’s power surge is a welcome addition to the fray.
In the circle, Lindsay Campana (10-13) and Mendy McKenzie (9-5) have been about as dependable as you could ask for. Campana, armed with a 2.01 ERA, has won six of her last nine decisions and her 142 K’s are second amongst all ACC hurlers. McKenzie had a whirlwind showing last week, tossing a perfect game against Winthrop and coming one out away from picking up another no-hitter at UVa. In three appearances she tossed 17.1 innings, 12-consecutive that were hitless, allowing just one earned run and seven hits.
Elon greets the Pack at 15-14, having dropped five of its last six. Tracey Dahlen (.356) and Melanie Helterbran (.320) front the Phoenix offense, with Dahlen leading the team in hits (31) and Helterbran serving as a home run threat (6 HR, 21 RBIs). Helterbran (5-4, 3.89 ERA, 66.2 IP) has tossed most of the innings for Elon as well, but Pam DelPizzo (4-5, 2.58 ERA, 59.2 IP) isn’t far behind.
The Phoenix defense has kicked the ball around 48 times on the year, four more than the red and white.
State will return to the Curtis & Jacqueline Dail Softball Stadium in Raleigh this week for a three-game ACC affair with Georgia Tech. The Pack and Yellow Jackets will go head-to-head for two games on Saturday, April 5 beginning at 1 p.m., before wrapping up the series on Sunday, April 6 at 12 noon. Live stats will be available for all three games on GoPack.com. Live video streaming of Sunday’s bout will be available via ACCSelect.com.
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