North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Pounces Early to Down Quinnipiac
3/5/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State baseball took down Quinnipiac in the opener of a three-game series, 17-6, on Friday night at Doak Field at Dail Park. Despite trailing after the first inning, NC State (8-1) racked up 12 runs over the next two frames to take a commanding 13-2 lead after three innings over the Bobcats (0-1). The Wolfpack's Chris Schaeffer was 4-for-5 at the plate with a homer and three RBIs, and Drew Poulk hit a grand slam to lead an NC State offense that pounded out 17 hits.
Rob Chamra (3-0) picked up the win in relief, allowing just three hits and striking out four in relief. Bobcats' starter Michael Oskandy (0-1) lasted just 2 and 2/3 innings after giving up 12 runs (seven earned) on nine hits.
The Bobcats got on the board early in the top of the first, as the number three hitter in the lineup, Brian Monack, connected on a two-run shot to right field for a 2-0 lead. Wolfpack starter Ethan Ogburn walked the next batter before inducing a double play to end the inning.
NC State answered with a run in the bottom half of the frame off of a RBI groundout by Pratt Maynard, then exploded in the second and third innings to put the game out of reach.
The first six Wolfpack batters of the second inning reached base, as Danny Canela and Tarran Senay opened the innings with back-to-back singles. Schaeffer doubled to center to tie the game at 2-2. Matt Berquist was hit by a pitch, and Kyle Wilson smoked a two-run single through the right side of the infield for a 4-2 margin. After Dallas Poulk walked, Andrew Ciencin hit a sacrifice fly to to right field for a 5-2 advantage. The lead moved to 6-2 after Maynard picked up his second RBI ground out in as many innings.
Ogburn allowed a harmless two-out double in the second but was later replaced by Nick Rice in the third after a one-out walk. Rice induced three straight groundouts to close out the inning in relief.
Seven more runs would come across the plate for the Red and White in the third, thanks in large part by the grand slam from Drew Poulk, one of two long balls in the inning for NC State. Schaeffer got things going with a one-out solo homerun to left field, and Bergquist reached on an error. Wilson was hit by a pitch, and Dallas Poulk smacked an RBI single into right field. With two outs, Maynard walked to load the bases for Drew Poulk, who left the park to make it a 12-2 advantage. Schaeffer would add an RBI single later in the inning for the 13-2 lead through three complete innings.
The Wolfpack offense made it 14-2 after Harold Riggins drew a bases loaded walk in the fourth, and Rice pitched effectively before he ran into trouble in the sixth. The Bobcats had their first six batters reach base in the inning, as three straight singles and a hit batter forced NC State to make a change on the mound and bring in the hard throwing Chamra. Michael Amanti hit Chamra's first pitch for a RBI single, and Kyle Nisson followed with his own RBI single to make it 14-4. Chamra then wrapped a pair of strikeouts around a sacrifice fly to get out of the inning without further damage and with the Wolfpack leading 14-6.
Chamra was nearly unhittable after the sixth inning, allowing just a walk and one single combined in the seventh and eighth innings.
The Pack offense would chip in a pair of runs in the sixth and another in the seventh for the final margin. Bill Edwards hit his first career long ball in the sixth, a two-run drive over the wall in left, after Maynard led off the inning with a double. Russell Wilson hit an RBI double in the seventh for the final tally.
Schaeffer has now hit safely in six straight games and is hitting 10-for-18 during the hot streak.
The second of three games against the Bobcats is slated for a 2 p.m. start on Saturday. Make sure to come out to the park and collect the first set of baseball trading cards.
Rob Chamra (3-0) picked up the win in relief, allowing just three hits and striking out four in relief. Bobcats' starter Michael Oskandy (0-1) lasted just 2 and 2/3 innings after giving up 12 runs (seven earned) on nine hits.
The Bobcats got on the board early in the top of the first, as the number three hitter in the lineup, Brian Monack, connected on a two-run shot to right field for a 2-0 lead. Wolfpack starter Ethan Ogburn walked the next batter before inducing a double play to end the inning.
NC State answered with a run in the bottom half of the frame off of a RBI groundout by Pratt Maynard, then exploded in the second and third innings to put the game out of reach.
The first six Wolfpack batters of the second inning reached base, as Danny Canela and Tarran Senay opened the innings with back-to-back singles. Schaeffer doubled to center to tie the game at 2-2. Matt Berquist was hit by a pitch, and Kyle Wilson smoked a two-run single through the right side of the infield for a 4-2 margin. After Dallas Poulk walked, Andrew Ciencin hit a sacrifice fly to to right field for a 5-2 advantage. The lead moved to 6-2 after Maynard picked up his second RBI ground out in as many innings.
Ogburn allowed a harmless two-out double in the second but was later replaced by Nick Rice in the third after a one-out walk. Rice induced three straight groundouts to close out the inning in relief.
Seven more runs would come across the plate for the Red and White in the third, thanks in large part by the grand slam from Drew Poulk, one of two long balls in the inning for NC State. Schaeffer got things going with a one-out solo homerun to left field, and Bergquist reached on an error. Wilson was hit by a pitch, and Dallas Poulk smacked an RBI single into right field. With two outs, Maynard walked to load the bases for Drew Poulk, who left the park to make it a 12-2 advantage. Schaeffer would add an RBI single later in the inning for the 13-2 lead through three complete innings.
The Wolfpack offense made it 14-2 after Harold Riggins drew a bases loaded walk in the fourth, and Rice pitched effectively before he ran into trouble in the sixth. The Bobcats had their first six batters reach base in the inning, as three straight singles and a hit batter forced NC State to make a change on the mound and bring in the hard throwing Chamra. Michael Amanti hit Chamra's first pitch for a RBI single, and Kyle Nisson followed with his own RBI single to make it 14-4. Chamra then wrapped a pair of strikeouts around a sacrifice fly to get out of the inning without further damage and with the Wolfpack leading 14-6.
Chamra was nearly unhittable after the sixth inning, allowing just a walk and one single combined in the seventh and eighth innings.
The Pack offense would chip in a pair of runs in the sixth and another in the seventh for the final margin. Bill Edwards hit his first career long ball in the sixth, a two-run drive over the wall in left, after Maynard led off the inning with a double. Russell Wilson hit an RBI double in the seventh for the final tally.
Schaeffer has now hit safely in six straight games and is hitting 10-for-18 during the hot streak.
The second of three games against the Bobcats is slated for a 2 p.m. start on Saturday. Make sure to come out to the park and collect the first set of baseball trading cards.
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