North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Falls To Wake Forest In 10, 4-3
3/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Sometimes the right chess moves don’t lead to checkmate. Such was the case for NC State on Sunday. Strategy dictated two key defensive changes for the Wolfpack in the 10th inning, but Wake Forest still managed to push the winning run across to topple the Pack 4-3 in the final game of a three-game ACC series.
By salvaging the final game of the series, Wake Forest improved to 7-14 overall and 1-5 in the ACC. The Wolfpack dropped to 14-6 and 2-4. Russell Wilson (0-1), the last of seven pitchers used by NC State, took the loss. He worked two-thirds of an inning and allowed a run on one hit. Wake Forest reliever Ryan McGrath (1-1) got the final out in the top of the 10th to get credit for the win.
Late-game strategy played far less of a role in the outcome of the game than the Wolfpack failing to cash in on two late-game scoring opportunities. With the score tied at 3-3, NC State left the bases loaded in the top of the ninth, then left runners at first and second in the top of the 10th.
Wake Forest took the early lead with a lone run in the bottom of the second inning. Mike Murray led off and singled through the right side of the infield, then scored on Matt Conway’s one-out double to the gap in right-center.
NC State scored all three of its runs in the top of the fourth. Kyle Wilson led off with an infield single and Dallas Poulk walked. Andrew Ciencin singled to left to drive in Wilson and tie the score at 1-1, and Poulk went all the way to third when left fielder Ryan Semeniuk overran Ciencin’s hit for an error. Drew Poulk singled up the middle to drive in the go-ahead run, and Danny Canela got the third run of the inning home when he grounded into a double play.
Wake Forest cut the lead to a run at 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth. Pat Blair drew a one-out walk and Semeniuk singled to left to put runners on first and second with two down. Steven Brooks doubled to left to drive in Blair, but Semeniuk was gunned down at the plate on a nice relay from shortstop Chris Diaz.
Senior lefthander Alex Sogard, in his second start and his third appearance in his comeback from a shoulder injury, pitched well, lasting 5 1/3 innings and allowing two runs on four hits. He pitched out of the stretch much of the day, but stranded four baserunners, three of them in scoring position.
With Sogard out of the game one out into the sixth inning, the Deacons tied the score at 3-3 with an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh. Mark Rhine drew a one-out walk and Blair singled through the left side of the infield to put runners on first and second. The runners pulled a double steal, and with two away, Brooks hit what should have been an inning-ending grounder to shortstop, but Diaz’s throw to first was high for an error. Rhine scored on the play.
The Wolfpack loaded the bases in the ninth on a single by Drew Poulk, a walk and a hit batter, but reliever Joel Ernst came out of the bullpen and pitched out of trouble. A one-out single up the middle by Tarran Senay and a hit batter gave NC State runners at first and second with two down in the 10th, but Ryan McGrath came out of the pen to get the final out of the inning for the Deacons.
The winning rally in the bottom of the 10th started when Russell Wilson came on in relief from center field. With Russell Wilson on the mound, Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent put Kyle Wilson into center field, despite a sore shoulder that had limited Wilson to DH duties. Carlos Lopez led off for Wake Forest and walked. John Stamper pinch-ran and Conway bunted Stamper to second base. With Stamper in scoring position, Avent was forced to lift Kyle Wilson and put an arm in center field, so he moved Dallas Poulk from second base to center field, shifted Diaz from shortstop to second base, and inserted Matt Bergquist at shortstop.
The strategy almost worked. Shane Kroker singled up the middle, but Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter held Stamper at third out of respect for Poulk’s throwing arm. And when Mike Lubanski grounded sharply to shortstop, the inning appeared over on a double-play ball, but Diaz’s relay to first base was over the head of Bill Edwards, allowing Stamper to score the winning run.
NC State will return to action on Tuesday with a 6 p.m. game at Campbell. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM (88.1) and on-line on gopack.com through the Pack Pass package.
