North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Can't Hold Off BC, Falls 11-10
4/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Tony Sanchez capped a huge Boston College comeback Sunday with his 12th home run of the season and the Eagles overcame an eight-run NC State lead to defeat the Wolfpack, 11-10, at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond.
With the victory, the Eagles won the three-game series from the Wolfpack, two games to one and improve to 19-10 overall and 7-6 in the ACC. The Wolfpack falls to 16-15 overall and 6-9 in the conference.
Mike Belfiore (3-0) moved from first base to the pitcher’s mound in the eighth inning and worked the final two innings to get credit for the win. Wolfpack reliever Joey Cutler (0-3) allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits and was charged with the loss.
The Eagles got to NC State starter John Lambert for two runs in the bottom of the first. Consecutive two-out walks to Sanchez, Mickey Wiswall and Belfiore set the stage for Barry Butera, who singled up the middle to drive in a pair of runs. Butera went to third on the throw back to the infield, putting runners on second and third with two away. Garret Smith followed with a sinking liner to right-center and Russell Wilson made a headlong dive to snare the ball for the third out of the inning and save two more runs from scoring.
Drew Martin got the top of the third started for NC State with a one-out walk. John Gianis followed with a line drive to right center and legged out a double to put runners on second and third. Eagles starter Mike Dennhardt struck out Kyle Wilson for the second out, but Pratt Maynard lined an 0-2 fastball up the middle for a game-tying two-run single. Pat Ferguson walked to put runners on second and third, and Devon Cartwright singled to center to score Maynard and give the Wolfpack a 3-2 lead.
Russell Wilson led off the top of the fourth and singled sharply to right. Dennhardt hit Martin with a pitch to put runners on first and second, and Gianis flied out to center field, advancing Wilson to third on the play. Kyle Wilson singled to right to drive in Russell Wilson. Martin took third on the play, and that was it for Dennhardt, who allowed four runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out one.
BC coach Mik Aoki brought Chris Kowalski out of the bullpen, and after Kyle Wilson stole second base, Kowalski walked Maynard on four pitches to load the bases. Kowalski wriggled off the hook when Belfiore fielded Ferguson’s chopper to the first base, stepped on the bag for the force, then threw home to Sanchez, who tagged Martin for the final out of the inning.
After the two-run outburst in the first inning, Lambert retired seven in a row before issuing a leadoff walk to Belfiore in the bottom of the fourth. Butera bunted the runner to second, and a wild pitch moved him to third, but Lambert buckled down and blew fastballs by Smith and Sudol, striking out both to end the inning unscathed.
Cartwright extended the Wolfpack lead to 5-2 with a leadoff homer to left to begin what became a big top of the fifth for NC State. Kowalski responded to the home run by walking Poulk and Andrew Ciencin to put runners on first and second with none out. Aoki responded by lifting Kowalski in favor of Geoff Oxley, who threw a wild pitch to advance the runners to second and third, then served up a single to right to Russell Wilson, driving in both runners to make it 7-2. Wilson stole second, then went to third on Martin’s groundout. Gianis drove in Russell Wilson with a single to right-center, and Kyle Wilson lined a single to right to move Gianis to third, leaving runners on the corners and sending Oxley to the showers.
Lefthander Nate Bayuk made his third relief appearance of the series, and on his first pitch, Wilson stole second and went to third when Smith mishandled Sanchez’s throw to second base. Gianis scored on the play. Maynard followed with a drive to right that Butera pulled back into play from over the right-field wall. The play was ruled a catch, and Wilson scored to make it 10-2 on the sacrifice fly.
BC finally broke Lambert’s spell for another run in the bottom of the fifth. Robbie Anston drew a one-out walk and took second on a balk by Lambert. Sanchez singled to right field to chase home Anston and cut the lead to 10-3.
Belfiore led off the bottom of the sixth and drew his third walk of the game. Butera tripled down the right-field line, and Smith hit a sacrifice fly to center field to cut the lead to 10-5. Sudol grounded out for the second out, but Zapenas walked, ending Lambert’s day at 5 2/3 innings. Alex Sogard relieved, and Anston and Matt Hamlet hit back-to-back singles to drive in another run and slice the lead to four runs at 10-6. The run was charged to Lambert, who allowed six runs on three hits. He walked seven and struck out four.
Belfiore drew his fourth walk of the game with one down in the bottom of the seventh and Butera singled to right, sending Belfiore to third. A breaking ball in the dirt from Sogard allowed Butera to advance to second, and Smith drove in both runners with a double to left, pulling the Eagles to within two at 10-8.
Joey Cutler came in for the Wolfpack at that point, replacing Sogard. Cutler struck out pinch-hitter John Spatola for the second out, but Andrew Lawrence drove a pinch-single to center, driving in Smith and cutting the lead to one at 10-9.
The lead finally evaporated in the bottom of the eighth. Hamlet led off with a routine grounder to third base, but Martin threw the ball over the head of Ferguson, allowing Hamlet to advance to second. Cutler then uncorked a wild pitch that Maynard couldn’t locate, and Hamlet scored all the way from second base, tying the score 10-10. Sanchez then unloaded his ACC-leading 12th homer of the season, a towering drive to right-center.
NC State will return to action on Tuesday vs. UNC Wilmington at Doak Field at Dail Park. Game time is 6:30. WKNC-FM (88.1) will broadcast the game live, and the broadcast will be available on-line at GoPack.com through Pack Pass.
With the victory, the Eagles won the three-game series from the Wolfpack, two games to one and improve to 19-10 overall and 7-6 in the ACC. The Wolfpack falls to 16-15 overall and 6-9 in the conference.
Mike Belfiore (3-0) moved from first base to the pitcher’s mound in the eighth inning and worked the final two innings to get credit for the win. Wolfpack reliever Joey Cutler (0-3) allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits and was charged with the loss.
The Eagles got to NC State starter John Lambert for two runs in the bottom of the first. Consecutive two-out walks to Sanchez, Mickey Wiswall and Belfiore set the stage for Barry Butera, who singled up the middle to drive in a pair of runs. Butera went to third on the throw back to the infield, putting runners on second and third with two away. Garret Smith followed with a sinking liner to right-center and Russell Wilson made a headlong dive to snare the ball for the third out of the inning and save two more runs from scoring.
Drew Martin got the top of the third started for NC State with a one-out walk. John Gianis followed with a line drive to right center and legged out a double to put runners on second and third. Eagles starter Mike Dennhardt struck out Kyle Wilson for the second out, but Pratt Maynard lined an 0-2 fastball up the middle for a game-tying two-run single. Pat Ferguson walked to put runners on second and third, and Devon Cartwright singled to center to score Maynard and give the Wolfpack a 3-2 lead.
Russell Wilson led off the top of the fourth and singled sharply to right. Dennhardt hit Martin with a pitch to put runners on first and second, and Gianis flied out to center field, advancing Wilson to third on the play. Kyle Wilson singled to right to drive in Russell Wilson. Martin took third on the play, and that was it for Dennhardt, who allowed four runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out one.
BC coach Mik Aoki brought Chris Kowalski out of the bullpen, and after Kyle Wilson stole second base, Kowalski walked Maynard on four pitches to load the bases. Kowalski wriggled off the hook when Belfiore fielded Ferguson’s chopper to the first base, stepped on the bag for the force, then threw home to Sanchez, who tagged Martin for the final out of the inning.
After the two-run outburst in the first inning, Lambert retired seven in a row before issuing a leadoff walk to Belfiore in the bottom of the fourth. Butera bunted the runner to second, and a wild pitch moved him to third, but Lambert buckled down and blew fastballs by Smith and Sudol, striking out both to end the inning unscathed.
Cartwright extended the Wolfpack lead to 5-2 with a leadoff homer to left to begin what became a big top of the fifth for NC State. Kowalski responded to the home run by walking Poulk and Andrew Ciencin to put runners on first and second with none out. Aoki responded by lifting Kowalski in favor of Geoff Oxley, who threw a wild pitch to advance the runners to second and third, then served up a single to right to Russell Wilson, driving in both runners to make it 7-2. Wilson stole second, then went to third on Martin’s groundout. Gianis drove in Russell Wilson with a single to right-center, and Kyle Wilson lined a single to right to move Gianis to third, leaving runners on the corners and sending Oxley to the showers.
Lefthander Nate Bayuk made his third relief appearance of the series, and on his first pitch, Wilson stole second and went to third when Smith mishandled Sanchez’s throw to second base. Gianis scored on the play. Maynard followed with a drive to right that Butera pulled back into play from over the right-field wall. The play was ruled a catch, and Wilson scored to make it 10-2 on the sacrifice fly.
BC finally broke Lambert’s spell for another run in the bottom of the fifth. Robbie Anston drew a one-out walk and took second on a balk by Lambert. Sanchez singled to right field to chase home Anston and cut the lead to 10-3.
Belfiore led off the bottom of the sixth and drew his third walk of the game. Butera tripled down the right-field line, and Smith hit a sacrifice fly to center field to cut the lead to 10-5. Sudol grounded out for the second out, but Zapenas walked, ending Lambert’s day at 5 2/3 innings. Alex Sogard relieved, and Anston and Matt Hamlet hit back-to-back singles to drive in another run and slice the lead to four runs at 10-6. The run was charged to Lambert, who allowed six runs on three hits. He walked seven and struck out four.
Belfiore drew his fourth walk of the game with one down in the bottom of the seventh and Butera singled to right, sending Belfiore to third. A breaking ball in the dirt from Sogard allowed Butera to advance to second, and Smith drove in both runners with a double to left, pulling the Eagles to within two at 10-8.
Joey Cutler came in for the Wolfpack at that point, replacing Sogard. Cutler struck out pinch-hitter John Spatola for the second out, but Andrew Lawrence drove a pinch-single to center, driving in Smith and cutting the lead to one at 10-9.
The lead finally evaporated in the bottom of the eighth. Hamlet led off with a routine grounder to third base, but Martin threw the ball over the head of Ferguson, allowing Hamlet to advance to second. Cutler then uncorked a wild pitch that Maynard couldn’t locate, and Hamlet scored all the way from second base, tying the score 10-10. Sanchez then unloaded his ACC-leading 12th homer of the season, a towering drive to right-center.
NC State will return to action on Tuesday vs. UNC Wilmington at Doak Field at Dail Park. Game time is 6:30. WKNC-FM (88.1) will broadcast the game live, and the broadcast will be available on-line at GoPack.com through Pack Pass.
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