North Carolina State University Athletics
UNC Wilmington Hands Baseball 7-4 Setback
4/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. – Michael Rooney, Alex Hill and Ben Thielsen drove in two runs apiece, and six UNC Wilmington relievers combined to pitch 4 2/3 scoreless innings Wednesday night to lift the Seahawks to a 7-4 victory over NC State at Doak Field at Dail Park.
The Wolfpack, which dropped to 22-14 with the loss, fielded a makeshift lineup due to injuries and illness. In particular, center fielder Kyle Wilson is out for at least two weeks with a groin pull, and right fielder Drew Poulk is out with an persistent but intermittent abdominal problem. Their absence forced Wolfpack coach Elliott Avent to revamp his lineup and put first baseman Harold Riggins in left field, second baseman Dallas Poulk in center, and left fielder Russell Wilson in right. Shortstop Chris Diaz played second base.
“Because of injuries, we had to ask four guys to start at positions they either hadn’t played this year or had played only for a few innings,” Avent said. “That’s not why we lost. WE got beat by a very good UNC Wilmington team, but I was very proud of the way the entire team responded to the adversity. We played hard and we battled for nine innings. You tip your cap to Wilmington. They’re a good team, but I was very proud of the effort our guys gave.”
The Wolfpack jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning against UNCW starter Daniel Cropper. Dallas Poulk led off and went all the way to second base on an error by third baseman Michael Bass. Andrew Ciencin reached on an infield single to second base, but Poulk was thrown out trying to score when the throw from Thielsen skipped past first base. Robbie Monday recovered quickly and nailed Poulk at the plate. Pratt Maynard followed with a double into the left-field corner to put runners on second and third. Harold Riggins got Ciencin home with a sacrifice fly, and Canela drove in Maynard with a single through the left side of the infield.
Rey Cotilla started for NC State and cruised through the first two innings, walking one but allowing no hits. He hit the wall in the third, however. Thielsen hit a one-out double to right-center and went to third on a wild pitch. Rooney doubled to right-center to drive in Thielsen, and Hill homered to right to make it 3-2. Cody Stanley walked, and that was it for Cotilla, who gave way to lefthander Grant Sasser. Monday greeted Sasser with a single to right, and Hunter Ridge doubled to left to drive in Stanley and make it 4-2.
Cropper recovered from the rocky first inning and retired 11 of 15 batters before the Wolfpack scored two more in the bottom of the fifth. Maynard hit a one-out double to left and scored when Riggins doubled to right-center. Canela hit a single off the foot of Cropper, sending Riggins to third and Cropper to the showers. Andrew Harnage came in and unloaded a wild pitch to score Riggins with the tying run.
Jesse Haney came in for Harnage, who faced two batters and put both on base, and restored order for the Seahawks. Haney worked two innings and allowing no runs or hits. He walked one and got credit for the win to improve to 1-0.
Sasser mowed down the Seahawks after Ridge’s double, setting down nine of the next 10 men he faced, five of them on strikes, until Matt Holt doubled to left and scored on Thielsen’s single past first base. Thielsen stole second and scored on Rooney’s single to left. Sasser retired the next three men he faced but took the loss to fall to 2-2. He allowed two runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out five and did not issue a walk.
The Seahawks added one final run in the top of the eighth. Bass got it started with a two-out single to right, stole second and scored on Thielsen’s double to right-center.
Stephen Harrold worked the ninth inning for UNCW, setting down the side in order to notch his fifth save of the season.
NC State will return to action this weekend with a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at Maryland. Game times are 6 p.m. on Friday, and 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. All three games will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM and on-line at gopack.com.
The Wolfpack, which dropped to 22-14 with the loss, fielded a makeshift lineup due to injuries and illness. In particular, center fielder Kyle Wilson is out for at least two weeks with a groin pull, and right fielder Drew Poulk is out with an persistent but intermittent abdominal problem. Their absence forced Wolfpack coach Elliott Avent to revamp his lineup and put first baseman Harold Riggins in left field, second baseman Dallas Poulk in center, and left fielder Russell Wilson in right. Shortstop Chris Diaz played second base.
“Because of injuries, we had to ask four guys to start at positions they either hadn’t played this year or had played only for a few innings,” Avent said. “That’s not why we lost. WE got beat by a very good UNC Wilmington team, but I was very proud of the way the entire team responded to the adversity. We played hard and we battled for nine innings. You tip your cap to Wilmington. They’re a good team, but I was very proud of the effort our guys gave.”
The Wolfpack jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning against UNCW starter Daniel Cropper. Dallas Poulk led off and went all the way to second base on an error by third baseman Michael Bass. Andrew Ciencin reached on an infield single to second base, but Poulk was thrown out trying to score when the throw from Thielsen skipped past first base. Robbie Monday recovered quickly and nailed Poulk at the plate. Pratt Maynard followed with a double into the left-field corner to put runners on second and third. Harold Riggins got Ciencin home with a sacrifice fly, and Canela drove in Maynard with a single through the left side of the infield.
Rey Cotilla started for NC State and cruised through the first two innings, walking one but allowing no hits. He hit the wall in the third, however. Thielsen hit a one-out double to right-center and went to third on a wild pitch. Rooney doubled to right-center to drive in Thielsen, and Hill homered to right to make it 3-2. Cody Stanley walked, and that was it for Cotilla, who gave way to lefthander Grant Sasser. Monday greeted Sasser with a single to right, and Hunter Ridge doubled to left to drive in Stanley and make it 4-2.
Cropper recovered from the rocky first inning and retired 11 of 15 batters before the Wolfpack scored two more in the bottom of the fifth. Maynard hit a one-out double to left and scored when Riggins doubled to right-center. Canela hit a single off the foot of Cropper, sending Riggins to third and Cropper to the showers. Andrew Harnage came in and unloaded a wild pitch to score Riggins with the tying run.
Jesse Haney came in for Harnage, who faced two batters and put both on base, and restored order for the Seahawks. Haney worked two innings and allowing no runs or hits. He walked one and got credit for the win to improve to 1-0.
Sasser mowed down the Seahawks after Ridge’s double, setting down nine of the next 10 men he faced, five of them on strikes, until Matt Holt doubled to left and scored on Thielsen’s single past first base. Thielsen stole second and scored on Rooney’s single to left. Sasser retired the next three men he faced but took the loss to fall to 2-2. He allowed two runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out five and did not issue a walk.
The Seahawks added one final run in the top of the eighth. Bass got it started with a two-out single to right, stole second and scored on Thielsen’s double to right-center.
Stephen Harrold worked the ninth inning for UNCW, setting down the side in order to notch his fifth save of the season.
NC State will return to action this weekend with a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at Maryland. Game times are 6 p.m. on Friday, and 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. All three games will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM and on-line at gopack.com.
Auburn Regional Preview: Elliott Avent on ACC PM
Thursday, May 29
Game Three Press Conference: Athens Super Regional
Tuesday, June 11
Game Two Press Conference: Athens Super Regional
Sunday, June 09
Game One Press Conference - Athens Super Regional
Saturday, June 08