North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Evens Series With UNC, 14-6
4/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Andrew Ciencin’s second grand-slam homer in less than a week highlighted a six-run fourth inning, and Cory Mazzoni and Grant Sasser combined to scatter seven hits Saturday as NC State rolled past North Carolina 14-6 in the second game of a three-game ACC series at Boshamer Stadium.
NC State won for the sixth time in its last eight games and improved to 21-11 overall, 6-8 in the ACC. The loss knocked North Carolina to 21-12 overall and 5-9 in the conference. Mazzoni (4-2) worked the first 5 2/3 innings and allowed six runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out five. Sasser pitched the final 3 1/3 innings and allowed nothing other than a two-out single in the eighth and a pair of walks. He struck out four and recorded his first college save.
The Wolfpack took command of the game early and jumped to a quick 2-0 lead off of UNC starter Patrick Johnson (3-3) in the top of the first. Kyle Wilson led off and walked. Dallas Poulk executed a perfect hit-and-run single through the right side of the infield, moving Wilson to third. Both runners moved up a base when left fielder Ben Bunting bobbled the ball for an error. Drew Poulk grounded out to advance Dallas Poulk to third, and Pratt Maynard made it 2-0 with an RBI groundout to second base.
The Wolfpack loaded the bases with none out in the top of the second, but Johnson managed to wiggle off the hook. He was not as fortunate in the fourth. Terran Senay hit a one-out infield single to second base and went to second when Johnson threw away a pickoff attempt. Matt Bergquist walked to put runners on first and second, and Dallas Poulk drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Drew Poulk hit a slow bouncer to shortstop Ryan Graepel, whose flip to second base to force Dallas Poulk was late, forcing in a run and keeping the bases loaded. Maynard walked to force in another run, driving Johnson to an early shower. Chris Munnelly came in to pitch for the Tar Heels and, after running the count full to Andrew Ciencin, put a fastball in Ciencin’s happy zone. Ciencin drove it deep to left for his second grand-slam homer in five games, giving NC State an 8-0 lead.
The three inherited runners were charged to Johnson, who finished with seven runs allowed, six earned, on four hits in 3 2/3 innings. He walked five (seven UNC pitchers combined to walk 11) and struck out five.
Wolfpack starter Cory Mazzoni breezed through the first three innings, allowing one hit and facing just one hitter above the minimum, but he did not seem to recover quickly after sitting through the long top half of the fourth. Tommy Coyle led off the inning with a single to left, and scored on scored on Jesse Wierzbicki’s double to right. Brian Goodwin grounded to second base to advance Wierzbicki to third, and he scored to make it 8-2 when Dillon Hazlett’s slow roller to third base went for an RBI infield single. Bunting followed with a double to right-center to drive in Hazlett and slice the NC State lead to five runs at 8-3.
NC State came right back with a run in the top of the fifth. Matt Bergquist and Kyle Wilson walked to put runners on first and second with none out. Dallas Poulk bunted right back to reliever Greg Holt, whose throw to third was in time to retire Bergquist for the first out of the inning. Poulk and Kyle Wilson pulled a double steal, and Drew Poulk walked to load the bases. Maynard made it 9-3 by beating out a potential double-play grounder to first, driving in Wilson and giving the Pack a 9-3 lead.
North Carolina finally knocked Mazzoni out of the game in the sixth. Wierzbicki led off and was hit by a pitch. Goodwin walked, and Levi Michael grounded into a force play, erasing Goodwin at second and putting runners on the corners with one away. Hazlett singled to right to drive in Wierzbicki, and after Mazzoni struck out Bunting for the second out, he walked Graepel and Ben Stallings to force in a run. Sasser came in to pitch for the Wolfpack and continued the theme, walking Mike Cavasini to force in Hazlett and trim the NC State lead to three runs at 9-6.
Harold Riggins led off the top of the eighth for NC State and singled through the left side of the infield, his third hit of the game, and scored all the way from first when Russell Wilson tripled to the wall, over the head of Cavasini and all the way to the wall in straightaway center field. When righthanderNate Striz came in to pitch for the Tar Heels, lefty hitter Danny Canela pinch-hit for Bergquist and singled to right to drive in Wilson. Reliever Zach Bernard, pitching to Dallas Poulk, unloaded a wild pitch to allow one more run to score and make it 12-6.
The Pack added two more in the top of the ninth just for the fun of it. Ciencin doubled to right-center and reliever Cody Stiles hit Schaeffer with a pitch. Russell Wilson worked the count full before lofting a soft single to shallow center field, driving in Ciencin and sending Schaeffer to third. A wild pitch scored Schaeffer to make it 14-6.
NC State and North Carolina will play the final game of the series Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM and on-line at gopack.com.
NC State won for the sixth time in its last eight games and improved to 21-11 overall, 6-8 in the ACC. The loss knocked North Carolina to 21-12 overall and 5-9 in the conference. Mazzoni (4-2) worked the first 5 2/3 innings and allowed six runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out five. Sasser pitched the final 3 1/3 innings and allowed nothing other than a two-out single in the eighth and a pair of walks. He struck out four and recorded his first college save.
The Wolfpack took command of the game early and jumped to a quick 2-0 lead off of UNC starter Patrick Johnson (3-3) in the top of the first. Kyle Wilson led off and walked. Dallas Poulk executed a perfect hit-and-run single through the right side of the infield, moving Wilson to third. Both runners moved up a base when left fielder Ben Bunting bobbled the ball for an error. Drew Poulk grounded out to advance Dallas Poulk to third, and Pratt Maynard made it 2-0 with an RBI groundout to second base.
The Wolfpack loaded the bases with none out in the top of the second, but Johnson managed to wiggle off the hook. He was not as fortunate in the fourth. Terran Senay hit a one-out infield single to second base and went to second when Johnson threw away a pickoff attempt. Matt Bergquist walked to put runners on first and second, and Dallas Poulk drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Drew Poulk hit a slow bouncer to shortstop Ryan Graepel, whose flip to second base to force Dallas Poulk was late, forcing in a run and keeping the bases loaded. Maynard walked to force in another run, driving Johnson to an early shower. Chris Munnelly came in to pitch for the Tar Heels and, after running the count full to Andrew Ciencin, put a fastball in Ciencin’s happy zone. Ciencin drove it deep to left for his second grand-slam homer in five games, giving NC State an 8-0 lead.
The three inherited runners were charged to Johnson, who finished with seven runs allowed, six earned, on four hits in 3 2/3 innings. He walked five (seven UNC pitchers combined to walk 11) and struck out five.
Wolfpack starter Cory Mazzoni breezed through the first three innings, allowing one hit and facing just one hitter above the minimum, but he did not seem to recover quickly after sitting through the long top half of the fourth. Tommy Coyle led off the inning with a single to left, and scored on scored on Jesse Wierzbicki’s double to right. Brian Goodwin grounded to second base to advance Wierzbicki to third, and he scored to make it 8-2 when Dillon Hazlett’s slow roller to third base went for an RBI infield single. Bunting followed with a double to right-center to drive in Hazlett and slice the NC State lead to five runs at 8-3.
NC State came right back with a run in the top of the fifth. Matt Bergquist and Kyle Wilson walked to put runners on first and second with none out. Dallas Poulk bunted right back to reliever Greg Holt, whose throw to third was in time to retire Bergquist for the first out of the inning. Poulk and Kyle Wilson pulled a double steal, and Drew Poulk walked to load the bases. Maynard made it 9-3 by beating out a potential double-play grounder to first, driving in Wilson and giving the Pack a 9-3 lead.
North Carolina finally knocked Mazzoni out of the game in the sixth. Wierzbicki led off and was hit by a pitch. Goodwin walked, and Levi Michael grounded into a force play, erasing Goodwin at second and putting runners on the corners with one away. Hazlett singled to right to drive in Wierzbicki, and after Mazzoni struck out Bunting for the second out, he walked Graepel and Ben Stallings to force in a run. Sasser came in to pitch for the Wolfpack and continued the theme, walking Mike Cavasini to force in Hazlett and trim the NC State lead to three runs at 9-6.
Harold Riggins led off the top of the eighth for NC State and singled through the left side of the infield, his third hit of the game, and scored all the way from first when Russell Wilson tripled to the wall, over the head of Cavasini and all the way to the wall in straightaway center field. When righthanderNate Striz came in to pitch for the Tar Heels, lefty hitter Danny Canela pinch-hit for Bergquist and singled to right to drive in Wilson. Reliever Zach Bernard, pitching to Dallas Poulk, unloaded a wild pitch to allow one more run to score and make it 12-6.
The Pack added two more in the top of the ninth just for the fun of it. Ciencin doubled to right-center and reliever Cody Stiles hit Schaeffer with a pitch. Russell Wilson worked the count full before lofting a soft single to shallow center field, driving in Ciencin and sending Schaeffer to third. A wild pitch scored Schaeffer to make it 14-6.
NC State and North Carolina will play the final game of the series Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM and on-line at gopack.com.
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