North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Fumbles Away Gem By Gillheeney, Falls 6-2
4/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Jimmy Gillheeney definitely deserved better than this. The Wolfpack’s junior lefthander tossed a gem at 11th-ranked Virginia on Friday, only to have the defense commit nine errors behind him as the Cavaliers came away with a 6-2 victory in the first game of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at Davenport Field.
Gillheeney (5-3) held the ACC’s top-hitting offense to four hits, three of which did not leave the infield, in six dominant innings. He walked one and struck out four, but had six unearned runs hung around his neck by a brutal defensive performance from his teammates. He went through 15 hitters before allowing a hit, and with decent defensive support he would have had a shutout through eight innings. Instead, he was gone after six, trailing 6-2.
Virginia got a terrific outing from freshman lefthander Danny Hultzen (5-0), who went 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits. He walked two and struck out nine. Tyler Wilson pitched the final 3 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit, walking one and striking out three to earn his first save of the season.
The two starting pitchers mowed their way through the first three innings before Virginia took the lead with three unearned runs in a very ugly bottom of the fourth. Gillheeney began the inning by striking out Phil Gosslin, but Dan Grovatt reached on an error by Dallas Poulk at shortstop. Steven Proscia hit a squibber to the left of the mound, and Gillheeney’s throw to first was wide for an error to put runners on first and second with one out. John Hicks struck out looking for the second out of the inning, but the third out was a long time coming. Grovatt and Proscia pulled off a double steal, and Jared King hit a ball up the middle that second baseman Andrew Ciencin knocked down on the edge of the outfield grass for a base hit. Grovatt scored on the play, and when Proscia rounded third base too far, Ciencin threw behind the runner, but threw wildly for an error. Proscia scored on the bad throw, and King wound up on second when third baseman Drew Martin threw home trying to nail Proscia but threw wide of the plate for another error. Franco Valdez then hit a grounder to shortstop that kicked off Poulk’s glove for the fifth error of the inning, scoring King.
The Wolfpack got a run back, unearned, in the top of the fifth. Ciencin reached on an infield single and went to third on Russell Wilson’s flared single to shallow right field. Chris Schaeffer walked to load the bases, but Martin hit a grounder to third base that Proscia misplayed for an error, scoring Ciencin to cut the lead to 3-1.
Virginia got that run back in the bottom half of the inning. With two down, Grovatt singled to center field and stole second. Proscia grounded to shortstop, but Martin, who moved from third to shortstop to start the bottom of the fifth, threw wildly for an error, allowing Grovatt to score and push the lead back to three runs at 4-1.
NC State scored the only earned run of the game in the top of the sixth. Devon Cartwright led off with a single to center field and Harold Riggins hit a one-out single to left. Ciencin grounded into a force play, erasing Riggins at second base and moving Cartwright to third. Cartwright scored on Pratt Maynard’s single up the middle, cutting the lead to 6-2.
Virginia capped the scoring with a pair of runs, both unearned, in the bottom of the sixth. Valdes hit an infield single to third base, and Maynard was unable to field John Barr’s sacrifice bunt, the error putting runners at second and third with none out. Jarrett Parker bunted the runners to second and third, and Barr scored on Tyler Cannon’s grounder to third base.
NC State and Virginia will play the second game of this weekend’s ACC series on Saturday. Game time is scheduled for 1:06 p.m. In addition to being broadcast live on WKNC-FM (88.1) and on-line on gopack.com via Pack Pass, the game will be the ACC Game of the Week on Fox Sports South. Check your local listings.
Gillheeney (5-3) held the ACC’s top-hitting offense to four hits, three of which did not leave the infield, in six dominant innings. He walked one and struck out four, but had six unearned runs hung around his neck by a brutal defensive performance from his teammates. He went through 15 hitters before allowing a hit, and with decent defensive support he would have had a shutout through eight innings. Instead, he was gone after six, trailing 6-2.
Virginia got a terrific outing from freshman lefthander Danny Hultzen (5-0), who went 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits. He walked two and struck out nine. Tyler Wilson pitched the final 3 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit, walking one and striking out three to earn his first save of the season.
The two starting pitchers mowed their way through the first three innings before Virginia took the lead with three unearned runs in a very ugly bottom of the fourth. Gillheeney began the inning by striking out Phil Gosslin, but Dan Grovatt reached on an error by Dallas Poulk at shortstop. Steven Proscia hit a squibber to the left of the mound, and Gillheeney’s throw to first was wide for an error to put runners on first and second with one out. John Hicks struck out looking for the second out of the inning, but the third out was a long time coming. Grovatt and Proscia pulled off a double steal, and Jared King hit a ball up the middle that second baseman Andrew Ciencin knocked down on the edge of the outfield grass for a base hit. Grovatt scored on the play, and when Proscia rounded third base too far, Ciencin threw behind the runner, but threw wildly for an error. Proscia scored on the bad throw, and King wound up on second when third baseman Drew Martin threw home trying to nail Proscia but threw wide of the plate for another error. Franco Valdez then hit a grounder to shortstop that kicked off Poulk’s glove for the fifth error of the inning, scoring King.
The Wolfpack got a run back, unearned, in the top of the fifth. Ciencin reached on an infield single and went to third on Russell Wilson’s flared single to shallow right field. Chris Schaeffer walked to load the bases, but Martin hit a grounder to third base that Proscia misplayed for an error, scoring Ciencin to cut the lead to 3-1.
Virginia got that run back in the bottom half of the inning. With two down, Grovatt singled to center field and stole second. Proscia grounded to shortstop, but Martin, who moved from third to shortstop to start the bottom of the fifth, threw wildly for an error, allowing Grovatt to score and push the lead back to three runs at 4-1.
NC State scored the only earned run of the game in the top of the sixth. Devon Cartwright led off with a single to center field and Harold Riggins hit a one-out single to left. Ciencin grounded into a force play, erasing Riggins at second base and moving Cartwright to third. Cartwright scored on Pratt Maynard’s single up the middle, cutting the lead to 6-2.
Virginia capped the scoring with a pair of runs, both unearned, in the bottom of the sixth. Valdes hit an infield single to third base, and Maynard was unable to field John Barr’s sacrifice bunt, the error putting runners at second and third with none out. Jarrett Parker bunted the runners to second and third, and Barr scored on Tyler Cannon’s grounder to third base.
NC State and Virginia will play the second game of this weekend’s ACC series on Saturday. Game time is scheduled for 1:06 p.m. In addition to being broadcast live on WKNC-FM (88.1) and on-line on gopack.com via Pack Pass, the game will be the ACC Game of the Week on Fox Sports South. Check your local listings.
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