North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Sweeps Wake Forest, 14-4 and 18-6
4/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. NC State extended hits season-best winning streak to six games Sunday with a pair of one-sided victories over Wake Forest at Doak Field at Dail Park. The Wolfpack won the opener 14-4 behind four home runs and strong pitching from Eric Surkamp, then took the nightcap 18-6 with season highs for runs scored and base hits with 23.
The sweep combined with losses by Clemson, Virginia (swept in a doubleheader by Florida State) and Georgia Tech (split a doubleheader with North Carolina) lifts NC State into fourth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s overall standings and in second in the Atlantic Division. The Pack is now 20-9 overall and 8-6 in the ACC. NC State trails first-place Florida State by 5 games, but now enjoys comfortable margins over Clemson (6-9) and Wake Forest (5-9, 12-18 overall).
NC State won both games with early offensive onslaughts. Jeremy Synan belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning of the first game, and Chris Schaeffer added a solo shot in the bottom of the second. The Wolfpack put the game safely away with four runs in the fourth with RBI singles by Schaeffer and Dallas Poulk, and a two-run double by Tommy Foschi.
Marcus Jones added a solo homer over the scoreboard in leflt-center in the bottom of the fifth. Given the run support, Surkamp made it stand up. Andy Goff followed singles by Allan Dykstra and Dustin Hood with a three-run homer to left in the top of the second, but that was it. Surkamp (2-2) worked five innings and allowed just the three runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out a career-high 10. Starter Charlie Mellies (0-3) took the loss for Wake Forest. He worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed 11 runs on 11 hits, walking two and strikout out four.
Sean Morrison drew a pinch-hit walk with the bases loaded to drive in a run in the bottom of the sixth, and the Deacons closed out the scoring with a run in the top of the ninth on Dykstra’s single to left.
The Wolfpack blew the second game open even faster than the first. Jeremy Synan tripled home a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, and Marcus Jones and Schaeffer added RBI hits to make it 4-0 after an inning.
Dustin Hood singled up the middle with two down in the third inning to get Wake Forest on the board, but the Wolfpack answered back, and then some. NC State had its biggest inning of the season in the bottom of the third, scoring eight times on eight hits. Pond doubled to left to drive in a run, scored on Drew Martin’s sacrifice fly. Foschi had an RBI single, and Poulk actually shot a bunt over the infield and into right field for an RBI single. Synan singled home a pair of runs, and Jones drove in a run with a base hit. The other run in the inning scored on a passed ball. Poulk added a two-run homer in the fourth to make it 14-1, and the Pack never looked back.
Wake Forest added single runs in the fifth and sixth. Mike Murray hit a home run to right in the top of the fourth, and Willy Fox hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run in the fifth.
NC State added three more in the bottom of the sixth. Ryan Pond was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Nick Stanley singled to left to drive in one, and Drew Martin’s second sacrifice fly of the game gave the Wolfpack a 17-3 lead after six innings.
Ben Terry hit a two-run homer in the seventh, Tommy Foschi hit a run-scoring double in the bottom of the eighth, and Murray capped the scoring with an RBI single in the top of the ninth.
NC State will return this week with midweek games against Tuesday vs. UNC Wilmington and Wednesday vs. Coastal Carolina. Game times are 6:30 p.m. for both games. Both games will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM (88.1) and on the internet at gopack.com through the Pack Pass package.
The sweep combined with losses by Clemson, Virginia (swept in a doubleheader by Florida State) and Georgia Tech (split a doubleheader with North Carolina) lifts NC State into fourth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s overall standings and in second in the Atlantic Division. The Pack is now 20-9 overall and 8-6 in the ACC. NC State trails first-place Florida State by 5 games, but now enjoys comfortable margins over Clemson (6-9) and Wake Forest (5-9, 12-18 overall).
NC State won both games with early offensive onslaughts. Jeremy Synan belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning of the first game, and Chris Schaeffer added a solo shot in the bottom of the second. The Wolfpack put the game safely away with four runs in the fourth with RBI singles by Schaeffer and Dallas Poulk, and a two-run double by Tommy Foschi.
Marcus Jones added a solo homer over the scoreboard in leflt-center in the bottom of the fifth. Given the run support, Surkamp made it stand up. Andy Goff followed singles by Allan Dykstra and Dustin Hood with a three-run homer to left in the top of the second, but that was it. Surkamp (2-2) worked five innings and allowed just the three runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out a career-high 10. Starter Charlie Mellies (0-3) took the loss for Wake Forest. He worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed 11 runs on 11 hits, walking two and strikout out four.
Sean Morrison drew a pinch-hit walk with the bases loaded to drive in a run in the bottom of the sixth, and the Deacons closed out the scoring with a run in the top of the ninth on Dykstra’s single to left.
The Wolfpack blew the second game open even faster than the first. Jeremy Synan tripled home a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, and Marcus Jones and Schaeffer added RBI hits to make it 4-0 after an inning.
Dustin Hood singled up the middle with two down in the third inning to get Wake Forest on the board, but the Wolfpack answered back, and then some. NC State had its biggest inning of the season in the bottom of the third, scoring eight times on eight hits. Pond doubled to left to drive in a run, scored on Drew Martin’s sacrifice fly. Foschi had an RBI single, and Poulk actually shot a bunt over the infield and into right field for an RBI single. Synan singled home a pair of runs, and Jones drove in a run with a base hit. The other run in the inning scored on a passed ball. Poulk added a two-run homer in the fourth to make it 14-1, and the Pack never looked back.
Wake Forest added single runs in the fifth and sixth. Mike Murray hit a home run to right in the top of the fourth, and Willy Fox hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run in the fifth.
NC State added three more in the bottom of the sixth. Ryan Pond was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Nick Stanley singled to left to drive in one, and Drew Martin’s second sacrifice fly of the game gave the Wolfpack a 17-3 lead after six innings.
Ben Terry hit a two-run homer in the seventh, Tommy Foschi hit a run-scoring double in the bottom of the eighth, and Murray capped the scoring with an RBI single in the top of the ninth.
NC State will return this week with midweek games against Tuesday vs. UNC Wilmington and Wednesday vs. Coastal Carolina. Game times are 6:30 p.m. for both games. Both games 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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