North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Wipes Out Virginia Tech 11-5 In Series Finale
4/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BLACKSBURG, Va. NC State scored unearned runs in the seventh and eighth innings to tie the game and then take the lead, and tacked on six more runs in an ugly ninth inning to defeat Virginia Tech 11-5 and win the final game of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at English Field.
The Wolfpack won the series two games to one and improved to 27-12 overall and 12-8 in the ACC. NC State has won 13 of its last 16 games. Virginia Tech fell to 17-23 with the loss, 4-17 in the ACC.
Eryk McConnell got the start for NC State, but was at less than his best, at least in the early innings. McConnell was charged with four runs, three earned, on four hits in six innings of work. He walked two and struck out two. The first batter he faced in the bottom of the first inning, Sean O’Brien, took McConnell the opposite way with a solo home run to left field and a 1-0 Hokies lead.
The Virginia Tech lead lasted only a few moments. Marcus Jones led off the second with a single and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Ryan Pond was hit by a pitch and came around to score on a single to left by Dallas Poulk, giving the Wolfpack a 2-1 lead midway through the second inning.
The NC State lead lasted for an inning. The Hokies loaded the bases with none out on a double by leadoff hitter Matt Blow and a pair of walks. McConnell struck out Sean Ryan for the first out, but Anthony Sosnoskie rolled a dribbler up the third-base line that McConnell fielded and threw away at home plate. Sosnoskie got credit for a base hit and an RBI, and a second run scored on the throwing error on McConnell. Klint Reed followed with a squeeze bunt to drive in the third run of the inning, giving the Hokies a 4-2 lead.
Pat Ferguson got one run back for NC State with a one-out solo home run to left-center in the top of the fifth, and the Wolfpack tied the game at 4-4 with an unearned run in the top of the seventh. Drew Martin led off with a walk and was out at second when Poulk bounced into a force play. Ferguson singled to center to put runners on first and third. With two down, reliever Sean McDermott got Synan to bounce to first base, but Sean O’Brien threw to second base on the play, and his throw skipped past the bag and into left field. Poulk scored the tying run on the play.
The go-ahead run also was giftwrapped by Virginia Tech. Ryan Pond led off the eighth with a double to the left-field corner, went to third on Nick Stanley’s sacrifice bunt, then scored when McDermott’s pickoff attempt got past third baseman Michael Seaborn for an error.
McDermott (1-4) took the loss for the Hokies. He wound up allowing six runs, four earned, on four hits anda pair of walks. Kyle Rutter (2-1) got the win for NC State. He worked a scoreless seventh inning, striking out two. Jimmy Gillheeney worked the eighth and ninth, allowing one run on a solo homer by Seaborn. Gillheeney walked one and struck out two, and recorded his ninth save of the season.
The Wolfpack turned the game into a rout in the ninth, with the Hokies heavily aiding and abetting the cause. The Pack scored six runs in the inning on three hits, an error, four walks three of them with the bases loaded and a wild pitch. Devon Cartwright had the only run-scoring hit of the inning, a one-out, pinch-hit triple into the right-field corner. With the infield drawn in, Marcus Jones hit a grounder that went right through the legs of Balisteri at shortstop, allowing Cartwright to score. Pond and Chris Schaeffer singled to load the bases, and reliever David Cross walked Foschi and Martin to force in a pair of runs. Dave Zappacosta came in for Cross and walked Poulk to force in another run. A wild pitch brought home the final run of the inning.
NC State will return to action Wednesday at UNC Greensboro. First pitch is scheduled for 6 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 won the series two games to one and improved to 27-12 overall and 12-8 in the ACC. NC State has won 13 of its last 16 games. Virginia Tech fell to 17-23 with the loss, 4-17 in the ACC.
Eryk McConnell got the start for NC State, but was at less than his best, at least in the early innings. McConnell was charged with four runs, three earned, on four hits in six innings of work. He walked two and struck out two. The first batter he faced in the bottom of the first inning, Sean O’Brien, took McConnell the opposite way with a solo home run to left field and a 1-0 Hokies lead.
The Virginia Tech lead lasted only a few moments. Marcus Jones led off the second with a single and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Ryan Pond was hit by a pitch and came around to score on a single to left by Dallas Poulk, giving the Wolfpack a 2-1 lead midway through the second inning.
The NC State lead lasted for an inning. The Hokies loaded the bases with none out on a double by leadoff hitter Matt Blow and a pair of walks. McConnell struck out Sean Ryan for the first out, but Anthony Sosnoskie rolled a dribbler up the third-base line that McConnell fielded and threw away at home plate. Sosnoskie got credit for a base hit and an RBI, and a second run scored on the throwing error on McConnell. Klint Reed followed with a squeeze bunt to drive in the third run of the inning, giving the Hokies a 4-2 lead.
Pat Ferguson got one run back for NC State with a one-out solo home run to left-center in the top of the fifth, and the Wolfpack tied the game at 4-4 with an unearned run in the top of the seventh. Drew Martin led off with a walk and was out at second when Poulk bounced into a force play. Ferguson singled to center to put runners on first and third. With two down, reliever Sean McDermott got Synan to bounce to first base, but Sean O’Brien threw to second base on the play, and his throw skipped past the bag and into left field. Poulk scored the tying run on the play.
The go-ahead run also was giftwrapped by Virginia Tech. Ryan Pond led off the eighth with a double to the left-field corner, went to third on Nick Stanley’s sacrifice bunt, then scored when McDermott’s pickoff attempt got past third baseman Michael Seaborn for an error.
McDermott (1-4) took the loss for the Hokies. He wound up allowing six runs, four earned, on four hits anda pair of walks. Kyle Rutter (2-1) got the win for NC State. He worked a scoreless seventh inning, striking out two. Jimmy Gillheeney worked the eighth and ninth, allowing one run on a solo homer by Seaborn. Gillheeney walked one and struck out two, and recorded his ninth save of the season.
The Wolfpack turned the game into a rout in the ninth, with the Hokies heavily aiding and abetting the cause. The Pack scored six runs in the inning on three hits, an error, four walks three of them with the bases loaded and a wild pitch. Devon Cartwright had the only run-scoring hit of the inning, a one-out, pinch-hit triple into the right-field corner. With the infield drawn in, Marcus Jones hit a grounder that went right through the legs of Balisteri at shortstop, allowing Cartwright to score. Pond and Chris Schaeffer singled to load the bases, and reliever David Cross walked Foschi and Martin to force in a pair of runs. Dave Zappacosta came in for Cross and walked Poulk to force in another run. A wild pitch brought home the final run of the inning.
NC State will return to action Wednesday at UNC Greensboro. First pitch is scheduled for 6 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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