North Carolina State University Athletics
Long Day at the Baseball Yard for Wolfpack
3/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
LAKE WORTH, Fla. - NC State played three games to win two Wednesday, taking a split-opponent doubleheader against Villanova and Akron and taking 27 innings to do so.
The Wolfpack, which improved to 7-2 and extended its winning streak to seven games, hammered Villanova 15-0 in the first game of the twin-bill, then played Akron for 18 innings and five hours and twelve minutes before outlasting the Zips 5-4. The 18-inning game was the longest in NC State history.
Eleven NC State pitchers, two shy of the NCAA record for a single game, combined to strike out 31 Zips batters, setting a new NCAA Division I mark and easily eclipsing the old record of 26, set by Murray State on April 12, 1987, vs. Austin Peay. That game was a 15-inning affair. Akron used five pitchers in the game, and they combined to fan 20 Wolfpack hitters, and the 51 strikeouts for the two teams combined also is an NCAA Division I record.
NC State won the game when Kyle Wilson drew a one-out walk in the top of the 18th, stole second, stole third and came home when the catcher’s throw skipped off the third baseman’s glove and into foul territory down the left-field line.
The unearned run was NC State’s fourth of the game as the Zips committed five errors, two by shortstop Kevin Haas and two by catcher Brandon White. Both of White’s errors led directly to runs by NC State in extra innings. With two out and a runner on third in the 16th, White lobbed a dropped third strike about 10 feet over the head of first baseman Brian Kordal. RYan Frazee’s solo homer in the bottom of the inning kept the game alive for two more frames.
Akron held the game’s early lead, scoring a run in the bottom of the first on a leadoff double by Haas and a one-out single to center by Jake Plata. The Zips made it 2-0 in the third when Matt Roberts led off with a sinlge to right, went to second on Plata’s single to center, advanced to third on White’s fly ball to center field, and scored on Kordal’s double to right-center.
NC State tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth. Harold Riggins led off, reached on an infield single and took second when the throw to third was wide for an error. Dallas Poulk singled to left to drive in Riggins. Poulk went all the way to third when Haas’s throw to second base on a potential force play sailed into right field. Poulk scored on a perfect squeeze bunt by Drew Martin.
Riggins walked to lead off the sixth and was safe at second when Haas booted Dallas Poulk’s grounder to shortstop. A passed ball advanced the runners to second and third, and Martin’s sacrifice fly gave NC State a 3-2 lead.
The Wolfpack held its one-run lead until John Turk’s pinch-single drove in the tying run in the bottom of the ninth.
Alex Sogard (1-1), the 11th and final NC State pitcher, got the win with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball. He allowed one hit, struck out four and did not allow a walk. Chris Bassitt (0-1) took the loss for Akron after allowing the winning run on just one hit in two innings of work.
The Wolfpack began the day with a game that was the mirror opposite of the Akron game, a 15-0 rout of Villanova. NC State broke the game open with a 10-run fifth inning, sending 15 men to the plate in the inning. At one point, 11 consecutive Wolfpack batters reached base safely.
Chris Schaeffer hit a single, triple and home run in four at-bats and drove in five runs, and freshman Andrew Ciencin, a last-minute insertion into the lineup when Pratt Maynard came down with a stomach illness, went 3-for-4 with a double, a homer and four RBIs. Kyle Wilson had two hits in four at-bats, including a grand-slam home run in the 10-run fifth inning.
Freshman righthander Zak Sinclair started for NC State and went five innings, allowing seven hits and two walks while striking out three. The win was Sinclair’s first college decision. Villanova starter Kevin Crimmel took the loss to fall to 0-1. Crimmell worked 4 2/3 innings and was charged with eight runs, all earned, on eight hits. He walked two and struck out seven.
NC State will be back in action Friday for the first game of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at the University of Miami’s newly renovated Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. Game times are 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 1 pm. on Sunday. The games on Friday and Saturday will be carried live on WKNC-FM (88.1). Sunday’s game will be carried live if it does not conflict with NC State women’s basketball action at the ACC Tournament. All three games will be broadcast live on gopack.com on the Pack Pass package.
The Wolfpack, which improved to 7-2 and extended its winning streak to seven games, hammered Villanova 15-0 in the first game of the twin-bill, then played Akron for 18 innings and five hours and twelve minutes before outlasting the Zips 5-4. The 18-inning game was the longest in NC State history.
Eleven NC State pitchers, two shy of the NCAA record for a single game, combined to strike out 31 Zips batters, setting a new NCAA Division I mark and easily eclipsing the old record of 26, set by Murray State on April 12, 1987, vs. Austin Peay. That game was a 15-inning affair. Akron used five pitchers in the game, and they combined to fan 20 Wolfpack hitters, and the 51 strikeouts for the two teams combined also is an NCAA Division I record.
NC State won the game when Kyle Wilson drew a one-out walk in the top of the 18th, stole second, stole third and came home when the catcher’s throw skipped off the third baseman’s glove and into foul territory down the left-field line.
The unearned run was NC State’s fourth of the game as the Zips committed five errors, two by shortstop Kevin Haas and two by catcher Brandon White. Both of White’s errors led directly to runs by NC State in extra innings. With two out and a runner on third in the 16th, White lobbed a dropped third strike about 10 feet over the head of first baseman Brian Kordal. RYan Frazee’s solo homer in the bottom of the inning kept the game alive for two more frames.
Akron held the game’s early lead, scoring a run in the bottom of the first on a leadoff double by Haas and a one-out single to center by Jake Plata. The Zips made it 2-0 in the third when Matt Roberts led off with a sinlge to right, went to second on Plata’s single to center, advanced to third on White’s fly ball to center field, and scored on Kordal’s double to right-center.
NC State tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth. Harold Riggins led off, reached on an infield single and took second when the throw to third was wide for an error. Dallas Poulk singled to left to drive in Riggins. Poulk went all the way to third when Haas’s throw to second base on a potential force play sailed into right field. Poulk scored on a perfect squeeze bunt by Drew Martin.
Riggins walked to lead off the sixth and was safe at second when Haas booted Dallas Poulk’s grounder to shortstop. A passed ball advanced the runners to second and third, and Martin’s sacrifice fly gave NC State a 3-2 lead.
The Wolfpack held its one-run lead until John Turk’s pinch-single drove in the tying run in the bottom of the ninth.
Alex Sogard (1-1), the 11th and final NC State pitcher, got the win with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball. He allowed one hit, struck out four and did not allow a walk. Chris Bassitt (0-1) took the loss for Akron after allowing the winning run on just one hit in two innings of work.
The Wolfpack began the day with a game that was the mirror opposite of the Akron game, a 15-0 rout of Villanova. NC State broke the game open with a 10-run fifth inning, sending 15 men to the plate in the inning. At one point, 11 consecutive Wolfpack batters reached base safely.
Chris Schaeffer hit a single, triple and home run in four at-bats and drove in five runs, and freshman Andrew Ciencin, a last-minute insertion into the lineup when Pratt Maynard came down with a stomach illness, went 3-for-4 with a double, a homer and four RBIs. Kyle Wilson had two hits in four at-bats, including a grand-slam home run in the 10-run fifth inning.
Freshman righthander Zak Sinclair started for NC State and went five innings, allowing seven hits and two walks while striking out three. The win was Sinclair’s first college decision. Villanova starter Kevin Crimmel took the loss to fall to 0-1. Crimmell worked 4 2/3 innings and was charged with eight runs, all earned, on eight hits. He walked two and struck out seven.
NC State will be back in action Friday for the first game of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at the University of Miami’s newly renovated Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. Game times are 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 1 pm. on Sunday. The games on Friday and Saturday will be carried live on WKNC-FM (88.1). Sunday’s game will be carried live if it does not conflict with NC State women’s basketball action at the ACC Tournament. All three games will be broadcast live on gopack.com on the Pack Pass package.
Auburn Regional Preview: Elliott Avent on ACC PM
Thursday, May 29
Game Three Press Conference: Athens Super Regional
Tuesday, June 11
Game Two Press Conference: Athens Super Regional
Sunday, June 09
Game One Press Conference - Athens Super Regional
Saturday, June 08