North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Hosts UNCW On Tuesday
4/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. - Two teams looking to turn their seasons around come together Tuesday night at Doak Field at Dail Park when NC State hosts UNC Wilmington in a 6:30 p.m. game.
The Wolfpack, coming off a windblown series loss over the weekend at Boston College, is 16-15 overall and 9-13 since a 7-2 start. The Seahawks flew out of the gates this season, winning 15 of their first 17 games before losing eight of their last 10, including the last seven in a row. They come into the game at 17-10.
NC State will send freshman righthander Cory Mazzoni (0-3, 12.46) to the mound. UNCW will counter with sophomore righthander Justin Bradley (2-2, 5.52).
The Wolfpack dropped two of three games at Boston College after winning the first game behind junior lefty Jimmy Gillheeney, who allowed just one earned run in seven innings to get credit for the Pack’s 8-4 win in the opener. Pat Ferguson homered and drove in four runs to lead the offense.
The Eagles came back to take the second game of the Saturday doubleheader 8-6 behind a three-hit, three-RBI performance from third baseman Mickey Wiswall. NC State jumped out to a 10-2 lead early in the series finale behind lefthander John Lambert, who cruised the first five innings with a two-hitter. The Wolfpack bullpen was unable to hold the lead, however, and BC rallied for three runs in the sixth, three runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth to win 11-10. Barry Butera drove in three runs, and ACC home run leader Tony Sanchez produced the game-winner with his 12th long ball of the season in the bottom of the eighth.
“Right now, we’re struggling in pretty much every phase of the game,” Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent said. “We just have to keep working and trying to get better.”
NC State swung the bats well in the Boston College series, hitting .336, but in windblown conditions. A steady wind of 20 miles per hour blew out to left field for the duration of the series, with gusts up to 40 mph. The Wolfpack batted .336 for the series, but the Eagles hit .327. Center fielder Kyle Wilson went 7-for-14 and stole four bases to increase his ACC-leading total to 17. Devon Cartwright went 6-for-12 with a double, a homer and a team-best five RBIs. Pratt Maynard went 4-for-11 and drove in four runs, and Ferguson went 4-for-12 with a double, a home run and foru RBIs.
Junior outfielder Grayson Evans leads the Seahawks in batting with a .336 average. He has 10 doubles, two homers and 23 RBIs. Junior infielder Mike Rooney is hitting .326 with six doubles, three triples and 28 RBIs. UNCW is hitting .293 as a team.
NC State leads the overall series with UNCW by a 57-15 mark, but that does not indicate just how competitive the series has been in recent years. The two teams have split the last six games, and have split the two-game season series in five of the last seven seasons.
“UNC Wilmington has a very good program and they always play us hard and compete,” Avent said. “They’re coming into this game struggling, but we expect to get their best shot. It seems like we always do. We’ll have to be ready, and we’re going to have to play well in order to win.”
The Wolfpack, coming off a windblown series loss over the weekend at Boston College, is 16-15 overall and 9-13 since a 7-2 start. The Seahawks flew out of the gates this season, winning 15 of their first 17 games before losing eight of their last 10, including the last seven in a row. They come into the game at 17-10.
NC State will send freshman righthander Cory Mazzoni (0-3, 12.46) to the mound. UNCW will counter with sophomore righthander Justin Bradley (2-2, 5.52).
The Wolfpack dropped two of three games at Boston College after winning the first game behind junior lefty Jimmy Gillheeney, who allowed just one earned run in seven innings to get credit for the Pack’s 8-4 win in the opener. Pat Ferguson homered and drove in four runs to lead the offense.
The Eagles came back to take the second game of the Saturday doubleheader 8-6 behind a three-hit, three-RBI performance from third baseman Mickey Wiswall. NC State jumped out to a 10-2 lead early in the series finale behind lefthander John Lambert, who cruised the first five innings with a two-hitter. The Wolfpack bullpen was unable to hold the lead, however, and BC rallied for three runs in the sixth, three runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth to win 11-10. Barry Butera drove in three runs, and ACC home run leader Tony Sanchez produced the game-winner with his 12th long ball of the season in the bottom of the eighth.
“Right now, we’re struggling in pretty much every phase of the game,” Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent said. “We just have to keep working and trying to get better.”
NC State swung the bats well in the Boston College series, hitting .336, but in windblown conditions. A steady wind of 20 miles per hour blew out to left field for the duration of the series, with gusts up to 40 mph. The Wolfpack batted .336 for the series, but the Eagles hit .327. Center fielder Kyle Wilson went 7-for-14 and stole four bases to increase his ACC-leading total to 17. Devon Cartwright went 6-for-12 with a double, a homer and a team-best five RBIs. Pratt Maynard went 4-for-11 and drove in four runs, and Ferguson went 4-for-12 with a double, a home run and foru RBIs.
Junior outfielder Grayson Evans leads the Seahawks in batting with a .336 average. He has 10 doubles, two homers and 23 RBIs. Junior infielder Mike Rooney is hitting .326 with six doubles, three triples and 28 RBIs. UNCW is hitting .293 as a team.
NC State leads the overall series with UNCW by a 57-15 mark, but that does not indicate just how competitive the series has been in recent years. The two teams have split the last six games, and have split the two-game season series in five of the last seven seasons.
“UNC Wilmington has a very good program and they always play us hard and compete,” Avent said. “They’re coming into this game struggling, but we expect to get their best shot. It seems like we always do. We’ll have to be ready, and we’re going to have to play well in order to win.”
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