North Carolina State University Athletics
Big Ninth Inning Play Seals Win for Baseball
3/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Wade Moore went 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and three RBIs and Kyle Rutter survived a ninth-inning rally with the help of a close play at the plate to key a 4-3 victory over UNC Greensboro on Tuesday at Doak Field at Dail Park.
NC State moves to 13-10 with the victory. The loss drops UNCG to 7-10.
Five Wolfpack pitchers combined to strike out 15 as the bullpen once again came through for NC State. Alex Sogard (2-2) earned the victory with three innings of shutout relief. He struck out six and walked one. At one point, Sogard struck out five consecutive UNCG hitters. Zak Sinclair started for NC State, going three innings, striking out four and walking two. Matt Parish started for the Spartans and took the loss, falling to 1-1 on the year. Kyle Rutter helped hold off UNCG’s late comeback to earn his first save. He allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out two.
For the first time in four games, NC State struck first with three runs in the second inning. Pat Ferguson and Russell Wilson reached base on force plays to start the rally. Both came around to score when Wade Moore lined a double to the right-field gap to give NC State a 2-0 lead. Moore later scored when UNCG catcher Trevor Edwards threw the ball into left field on a stolen-base attempt to extend the Wolfpack lead, 3-0.
UNCG got one back in its half of the fourth, but the situation could have been a lot worse for the Pack. Two walks and a single by the Spartans chased Sinclair from the game. Faced with a no-out, bases-loaded situation, Sogard replaced Sinclair and limited the damage to a single run on a passed ball. Sogard struck out the final three hitters of the inning to maintain a 3-1 NC State lead.
The Wolfpack got a run back in the home half of the fourth. Moore led off with a bunt single down the third-base line, stole second scored his second run of the game when John Gianis lined a single to right-center to give NC State a 4-1 lead.
Both clubs went scoreless from there until the ninth, when UNCG mounted a comeback. Vance Williams started the inning for the Wolfpack. After a leadoff single by Jacob Golliday and a Michael Wall walk, Rutter came on to pitch for the Wolfpack and struck out Chris Richards for the first out of the inning, but walked Brent O’Berry to load the bases. Rutter got Pedro Leon looking for his second strikeout. Corey Overholtzer hit an RBI single up the middle to get UNCG within two. Ray Quinones followed with a single to left that drove in Wall, but Drew Poulk threw O’Berry out on a very close play at the plate to end the game, giving the Wolfpack a 4-3 victory.
NC State moves to 13-10 with the victory. The loss drops UNCG to 7-10.
Five Wolfpack pitchers combined to strike out 15 as the bullpen once again came through for NC State. Alex Sogard (2-2) earned the victory with three innings of shutout relief. He struck out six and walked one. At one point, Sogard struck out five consecutive UNCG hitters. Zak Sinclair started for NC State, going three innings, striking out four and walking two. Matt Parish started for the Spartans and took the loss, falling to 1-1 on the year. Kyle Rutter helped hold off UNCG’s late comeback to earn his first save. He allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out two.
For the first time in four games, NC State struck first with three runs in the second inning. Pat Ferguson and Russell Wilson reached base on force plays to start the rally. Both came around to score when Wade Moore lined a double to the right-field gap to give NC State a 2-0 lead. Moore later scored when UNCG catcher Trevor Edwards threw the ball into left field on a stolen-base attempt to extend the Wolfpack lead, 3-0.
UNCG got one back in its half of the fourth, but the situation could have been a lot worse for the Pack. Two walks and a single by the Spartans chased Sinclair from the game. Faced with a no-out, bases-loaded situation, Sogard replaced Sinclair and limited the damage to a single run on a passed ball. Sogard struck out the final three hitters of the inning to maintain a 3-1 NC State lead.
The Wolfpack got a run back in the home half of the fourth. Moore led off with a bunt single down the third-base line, stole second scored his second run of the game when John Gianis lined a single to right-center to give NC State a 4-1 lead.
Both clubs went scoreless from there until the ninth, when UNCG mounted a comeback. Vance Williams started the inning for the Wolfpack. After a leadoff single by Jacob Golliday and a Michael Wall walk, Rutter came on to pitch for the Wolfpack and struck out Chris Richards for the first out of the inning, but walked Brent O’Berry to load the bases. Rutter got Pedro Leon looking for his second strikeout. Corey Overholtzer hit an RBI single up the middle to get UNCG within two. Ray Quinones followed with a single to left that drove in Wall, but Drew Poulk threw O’Berry out on a very close play at the plate to end the game, giving the Wolfpack a 4-3 victory.
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