North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Falls to GMU, 11-4
3/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. With NC State on its heels after a tough weekend against Miami, George Mason capitalized in a big way, defeating the Wolfpack 11-4 in an afternoon game at Doak Field at Dail Park. The loss drops NC State to 7-6. George Mason improved its record to 8-3.
Cory Mazzoni (0-2) went four innings in relief for NC State, taking the loss after allowing four runs, two of them unearned, on two hits. He walked two and struck out two, and pitched creditably despite the loss. GMU reliever Ryan Brecko moves to 1-0 with the victory. He allowed two runs on two hits in 3 1/3 innings.
George Mason jumped on the board in the first off starter Zak Sinclair, without the benefit of a hit. Spencer Wiggins led off and walked on four pitches. He moved to second on a walk to Chris Henderson, then stole third and later scored after a Scott Krieger grounder. Sinclair got out of the jam, inducing two groundouts to end the inning down 1-0.
NC State immediately came back with two runs in the home half of the first inning on two hits and two Patriots errors. After Dallas Poulk led off with a walk and Kyle Wilson singled, George Mason starter Kevin Lingerman errantly threw to second base on a Pratt Maynard dribbler, loading the bases for the Wolfpack. A wild pitch brought Poulk in to score, and Andrew Ciencin drove in NC State’s second run of the inning when he reached base on an error by shortstop Brent Weiss. Pat Ferguson continued the rally with a single, but NC State was unable to capitalize and ended the inning leading 2-1.
Sinclair ran into trouble again in the top of the third. Wiggins led off with a walk, and Chris Henderson doubled to the left field gap to drive in Wiggins, knot the score at 2-2, and end Sinclair’s afternoon. Cory Mazzoni came in and restored order with three straight outs to keep the score 2-2.
Things fell apart for the Pack in the fifth. Wiggins drew a one-out walk, his third of the game, and advanced to second when Chris Schaeffer threw the ball into center field for an error off of Henderson’s bunt attempt. Krieger, who finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs on the day, blasted a three-run home run to left field to give George Mason the lead back 5-2. Ryan Soares reached on an error to keep the inning alive for George Mason. He came around to score on Wilson’s second error of the inning, a wild throw to second on Dan Palumbo’s grounder to shortstop. Mazzoni induced Brent Weiss to ground out to hold George Mason to a 6-2 lead.
Wilson led off the bottom of the inning with a single up the middle. Brecko issued a walk to Pratt Maynard and advanced both runners on a wild pitch. Wilson scored on a sacrifice fly to deep right field by Drew Poulk to bring the Wolfpack back to within three.
George Mason padded its lead in the top of the eighth. Reliever Vance Williams issued a leadoff walk to designated hitter Shane Davis and Palumbo singled. Ryan Uphouse drove both runners home with a double to the left-center-field gap to extend George Mason’s lead to 8-3.
Pinch-hitter Harold Riggins walked to lead things off in the eighth inning and moved over to third on a single to left by pinch-hitter Devon Cartwright. Riggins later scored on an RBI groundout by Schaeffer.
George Mason added three unearned insurance runs in the ninth off of reliever Travis High to put the game away. High walked Krieger and hit Soares with a pitch. Mark Hill reached on an error to load the bases. Palumbo scored Krieger on an RBI groundout, and Weiss completed the George Mason scoring on the afternoon with a two-RBI single.
The Wolfpack will face off with North Carolina A&T on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., and will remain at Doak Field at Dail Park on Friday for a three-game weekend series against Maryland, beginning at 3 p.m. All will be broadcast on WKNC-FM (88.1) and on-line at gopack.com through the Pack Pass package.
Cory Mazzoni (0-2) went four innings in relief for NC State, taking the loss after allowing four runs, two of them unearned, on two hits. He walked two and struck out two, and pitched creditably despite the loss. GMU reliever Ryan Brecko moves to 1-0 with the victory. He allowed two runs on two hits in 3 1/3 innings.
George Mason jumped on the board in the first off starter Zak Sinclair, without the benefit of a hit. Spencer Wiggins led off and walked on four pitches. He moved to second on a walk to Chris Henderson, then stole third and later scored after a Scott Krieger grounder. Sinclair got out of the jam, inducing two groundouts to end the inning down 1-0.
NC State immediately came back with two runs in the home half of the first inning on two hits and two Patriots errors. After Dallas Poulk led off with a walk and Kyle Wilson singled, George Mason starter Kevin Lingerman errantly threw to second base on a Pratt Maynard dribbler, loading the bases for the Wolfpack. A wild pitch brought Poulk in to score, and Andrew Ciencin drove in NC State’s second run of the inning when he reached base on an error by shortstop Brent Weiss. Pat Ferguson continued the rally with a single, but NC State was unable to capitalize and ended the inning leading 2-1.
Sinclair ran into trouble again in the top of the third. Wiggins led off with a walk, and Chris Henderson doubled to the left field gap to drive in Wiggins, knot the score at 2-2, and end Sinclair’s afternoon. Cory Mazzoni came in and restored order with three straight outs to keep the score 2-2.
Things fell apart for the Pack in the fifth. Wiggins drew a one-out walk, his third of the game, and advanced to second when Chris Schaeffer threw the ball into center field for an error off of Henderson’s bunt attempt. Krieger, who finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs on the day, blasted a three-run home run to left field to give George Mason the lead back 5-2. Ryan Soares reached on an error to keep the inning alive for George Mason. He came around to score on Wilson’s second error of the inning, a wild throw to second on Dan Palumbo’s grounder to shortstop. Mazzoni induced Brent Weiss to ground out to hold George Mason to a 6-2 lead.
Wilson led off the bottom of the inning with a single up the middle. Brecko issued a walk to Pratt Maynard and advanced both runners on a wild pitch. Wilson scored on a sacrifice fly to deep right field by Drew Poulk to bring the Wolfpack back to within three.
George Mason padded its lead in the top of the eighth. Reliever Vance Williams issued a leadoff walk to designated hitter Shane Davis and Palumbo singled. Ryan Uphouse drove both runners home with a double to the left-center-field gap to extend George Mason’s lead to 8-3.
Pinch-hitter Harold Riggins walked to lead things off in the eighth inning and moved over to third on a single to left by pinch-hitter Devon Cartwright. Riggins later scored on an RBI groundout by Schaeffer.
George Mason added three unearned insurance runs in the ninth off of reliever Travis High to put the game away. High walked Krieger and hit Soares with a pitch. Mark Hill reached on an error to load the bases. Palumbo scored Krieger on an RBI groundout, and Weiss completed the George Mason scoring on the afternoon with a two-RBI single.
The Wolfpack will face off with North Carolina A&T on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., and will remain at Doak Field at Dail Park on Friday for a three-game weekend series against Maryland, beginning at 3 p.m. All will be broadcast on WKNC-FM (88.1) and on-line at gopack.com through the Pack Pass package.
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