North Carolina State University Athletics
Virginia Tech Delivers Runs Late, Defeating NC State 11-7
3/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Ronnie Shaban went 4-for-5 with a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored, and Anthony Sosnoskie had a 3-for-4 day at the plate with a home run and two walks as Virginia Tech defeated NC State 11-7 at Doak Field at Dail Park on Saturday.
Due to rain on Saturday after the first game, game two of Saturday’s doubleheader between NC State and Virginia Tech will be moved to Sunday as part of a doubleheader, beginning at 12 noon.
The win lifts Virginia Tech to 15-8 overall and 3-6 in ACC play. The loss drops the Wolfpack to 13-12 and 3-7 in the ACC.
Reliever Joey Cutler (0-1) took the loss for the Pack. He allowed five runs, three of them earned, on six hits in three innings of work. Cutler struck out two and walked two. Jimmy Gillheeney started for NC State and allowed six runs on 12 hits over six-plus innings. He struck out six and walked three. Ben Rowen (3-0) earned the victory for the Hokies with 2 2/3 innings of one-run, one-hit relief. He struck out three and walked one. Rhett Ballard started for the Hokies and went 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits in the no-decision.
Kyle Wilson reached base on fielding error in the bottom of the second by shortstop Ty Hohman. Wilson advanced to third when Pat Ferguson dumped a bloop double over the third baseman’s head to put two runners on with one out. Russell Wilson brought Kyle Wilson home with an RBI-groundout to give NC State an early 1-0 lead.
Virginia Tech grabbed the lead in the top half of the third with a pair of runs. The Hokies loaded the bases against Gillheeney with nobody out with two infield singles and a walk. Austin Wates brought Ronnie Shaban home for Virginia Tech’s first run with a grounder to second. One batter later, Klint Reed touched home on a Steve Domecus sacrifice fly to put the Hokies up 2-1.
The lead did not last long for the Hokies. Pinch-hitter Andrew Ciencin was hit by a pitch to lead things off for the Wolfpack in the bottom of the third. After advancing to second on a John Gianis walk, Ciencin came in to score when Dallas Poulk reached on a throwing error by the third baseman to knot the score up at two. Pratt Maynard continued the third-inning rally with a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Gianis attempted to score on a wild pitch but was thrown out at the plate. The Wolfpack again loaded the bases, this time when Kyle Wilson was hit by a pitch with two outs. Ballard escaped further damage by getting Ferguson to fly out to center to end the inning.
Virginia Tech broke the 2-2 tie in the sixth, sending eight hitters to the plate. Ty Hohman led off with a single to center. Marc Zecchino walked. Michael Seaborn reached on a bunt single to load the bases for Shaban. With nobody out, Shaban delivered a single through the right side to bring Hohman and Zecchino home to take a 4-2 lead. Gillheeney appeared to be in control of the inning after getting two strikeouts, but Austin Wates extended the Hokie lead to three with an RBI-single up the middle, scoring Seaborn.
NC State sent eight hitters to the plate in their half of the sixth to retake the lead. Russell Wilson was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Chris Schaeffer and Gianis walked, chasing Virginia Tech reliever Clark Labitan from the game. With one out, Dallas Poulk lifted a flyball to right to score Wilson from third to cut the lead to 5-3. The inning continued when Pratt Mayard singled to right to bring Schaeffer in to score. Brian Bello, who came in as a defensive replacement in the top of the inning, hit a two-run single to left, scoring Gianis and Maynard to give NC State the lead at 6-5.
Gillheeney ran into trouble in the seventh. Anthony Sosnoskie roped a leadoff home run to left to tie the game at six apiece. Hohman followed with a walk, ending Gillheeney’s afternoon. Joey Cutler came on in relief and prevented further scoring, with a one-out Seaborn single up the middle being the only blemish.
Virginia Tech got to Cutler the eighth. Wates lined a one-out single to right. Domecus followed and was hit by a pitch. Anthony Sosnoski walked to load the bases for the Hokies. Cutler got Hohman to hit a groundball to second, but after a force out at second, the relay throw to first was in the dirt for an error. Wates scored on the force play, and Domecus scored on the throwing error, giving the Hokies an 8-6 lead. The inning ended when Wolfpack catcher Schaeffer threw out Hohman on an steal attempt.
With a steady rain settling into the area, the Hokies sent nine hitters to the plate in the ninth to broaden their lead to five. Seaborn led off with a single to deep short and came around to score one hitter later when Shaban drove a Cutler pitch over the center-field fence for a two-run home run. The homer gave Shaban four RBIs on the day. With one out, Buddy Sosnoskie reached first on a bunt single. Two more singles loaded the bases for Virginia Tech still with just one out. Domecus lifted a fly to right for a sacrifice fly, bringing home pinch-runner Mike Kaminski to go up 11-6.
NC State got one back in the ninth, but it was too little too late. With two outs, Kyle Wilson walked. Ferguson became the fifth Wolfpack batter to be hit by a pitch, putting two on for Russell Wilson, who delivered his first hit on the year, a single up the middle driving in Kyle Wilson to close the score to 11-7. Rowen got Schaeffer to fly out to center to end the game.
Due to rain on Saturday after the first game, game two of Saturday’s doubleheader between NC State and Virginia Tech will be moved to Sunday as part of a doubleheader, beginning at 12 noon. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM (88.1) and on-line on gopack.com through the Pack Pass package.
