North Carolina State University Athletics
Ciencin Leads NC State Baseball Past Xavier, 10-7
3/4/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. — Andrew Ciencin went 5-for-5 and drove in six runs Thursday, and Cory Mazzoni worked 5 2/3 strong innings to lead NC State to a 10-7 victory over Xavier at Doak Field at Dail Park.
Ciencin matched his career highs for hits and RBIs, both set earlier this season. He went 5-for-7 February 23 vs. Campbell, and drove in six runs February 20 vs. La Salle. The five-hit game raised his average for the season from .375 to .459.
Mazzoni had what for him was his poorest outing of the season, and he hardly pitched poorly. He allowed three runs on seven hits, walked four and tied his career high with seven strikeouts in improving to 2-0.
NC State lifted its record to 7-1 while Xavier fell to 1-6.
NC State, off to a hot start offensively this season, began the game the same way, scoring a pair of runs on three hits in the bottom of the first inning. Kyle Wilson led off and walked, and Dallas Poulk and Ciencin singled, with Ciencin’s hit driving in Wilson to make it 1-0. Danny Canela singled to right field to drive in Poulk with the second run.
Xavier starter Markus Kuykendoll, a freshman righthander, settled down after that and retired 11 of the next 13 NC State batters, surrendering a run in the second on a leadoff double by Tarran Senay, a groundout to second base by Harold Riggins, and a run-scoring groundout by Matt Bergquist.
Mazzoni mowed down the Musketeers early on. He set down 13 of the first 15 men he faced, and 14 of the first 18, before running into trouble in the fifth. He issued a one-out walk to Seth Willoughby and a two-out single to Drew Schmidt before Bobby Freking tied the score with a three-run home run to left.
NC State responded quickly. Bergquist led off with a single thorugh the left side of the infield and went to third on Kyle Wilson’s double to right. Dallas Poulk’s sacrifice fly scored Bergquist to break the tie, and Ciencin single sharply through the glove of Willoughby at third base to score Wilson and give the Pack a 5-3 lead.
Ciencin led off the bottom of the seventh with a double to right-center, and scored on Pratt Maynard’s triple to right-center. Ciencin added a grand-slam home run in the bottom of the eighth to make it 10-3.
Xavier scored four in the top of the ninth, all with two out, to make it interesting. Freking got the rally started with a single to center, and Ben Thomas grounded a single up the middle to put runners on first and second. Ryan Bellamy singled to right to load the bases. Neil Lindgren walked to force in a run, and Daniel Rod cleared the bases with a three-run double to left-center.
NC State will return to action Friday with the first game of a three-game home series vs. Quinnipiac. The first game, set for a 3 p.m. first pitch, will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM (88.1) and on-line at gopack.com through the Pack Pass package.
