North Carolina State University Athletics
Baseball Drops Rain-Shortened Finale At FSU, 12-9
5/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Fifth-ranked Florida State countered a seven-run first inning by NC State with an eight-run second, then added three more in the third and held on for a rain-shortened 12-9 victory over the Wolfpack on Sunday in the final game of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at Dick Howser Stadium.
Florida State won the series two games to one and improved to 39-13 overall and 18-9 in the ACC. NC State fell to 32-20 overall and 12-15 in the conference. The Wolfpack remained one game ahead of North Carolina for the eighth and final spot in the ACC Tournament later this month. North Carolina dropped to 11-16 in the conference after falling 5-3 at Virginia.
FSU reliever John Gast (6-2) got the win after allowing three runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out a career-high seven without allowing a walk. NC State reliever Anthony Tzamtzis (4-3) was charged with the loss. He allowed seven runs on six hits in 1 1/3 innings.
The Wolfpack began the game intent on enhancing its reputation as Grand Slam U. 2010. Kyle Wilson led off the top of the first and walked. With one away, Drew Poulk hit a double to right-center, and FSU starter Scott Sitz hit Pratt Maynard with a pitch to load the bases. Andrew Ciencin followed and drove a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left for his eighth home run of the season. The grand slam was Ciencin’s fourth and the team’s eighth of 2010, both of which extended school records.
The big inning was just beginning. Danny Canela singled to right-center and Sitz hit Harold Riggins with a pitch to put runners on first and second. When Sitz’s first pitch to Terran Senay was wide of the strike zone, FSU coach Mike Martin went to his bullpen and brought in Gast. Senay reached on a fielder’s choice and Gast struck out Matt Bergquist for the second out, but Kyle Wilson’s tricky chopper ate up shortstop Stephen Cardullo and went into left field for a single, scoring two more runs, both charged to Gast. Dallas Poulk followed with a single to right to drive in Senay and make it 7-0 , but Poulk strayed too far past first base on the throw back to the infield and was tagged out between first and second after a run-down for the final out of the inning.
The Wolfpack made it 8-0 when Drew Poulk led off the top of the second with his 11th home run of the season.
Florida State sent 12 men to the plate in the bottom of the second and scored eight times. Sean Gilmartin hit a one-out single up the middle and Stuart Tapley hit a swinging bunt up the third-base line for an infield single. Wolfpack starter Ethan Ogburn hit Rafael Lopez with a pitch to load the bases, and Devon Travis doubled off the wall in right-center, driving in a pair and sending Ogburn to the showers. Tzamtzis came in to pitch for the Wolfpack and retired Tyler Holt on a sacrifice fly to right, cutting the lead to 8-3. Tzamtzis then hit Sherman Johnson with a pitch to put runners on the corners for Mike McGee, who doubled into the left-field corner to drive in both runners. James Ramsey followed with a two-run homer to left to make it a one-run game at 8-7, and after a single by Cardullo, Gilmartin tied the game at 8-8 with a double to left.
The Wolfpack broke the tie in the top of the third on back-to-back doubles by Dallas and Drew Poulk. The double by Drew was his third of the series, and his eighth hit in nine at-bats. The tie didn’t last an inning, however. Travis hit a one-out single through the left side of the infield in the bottom half of the inning and Holt walked. Johnson grounded into a force play at first, with Holt erased at second base, but Travis went to third on the play, then scored to tie the score at 9-9 when McGee lined a single just over Ciencin’s glove at third and into left field. Felix Roque came in to pitch for the Wolfpack after McGee’s single, and Ramsey belted a double down the right-field line and into the corner, scoring Johnson and McGee to give Florida State an 11-9 lead.
Johnson led off the bottom of the fifth and lined a single through the right side of the infield. McGee grounded to shortstop, but Johnson was running on the play, allowing the Seminoles to avoid the double play. Grant Sasser came in to pitch for NC State and walked Ramsey, with Johnson stealing third on ball four. Cardullo drove in Johnson with a sacrifice fly to center field, extending the FSU lead to 12-9.
The rain came at 4:21 p.m., and it was a downpour. Dallas Poulk had just singled to right and there was an 0-2 count on Drew Poulk when play was stopped and the field was covered.
NC State will return to action on Tuesday with a non-ACC game vs. High Point. Game time at Doak Field at Dail Park will be 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM and on-line at gopack.com.
Florida State won the series two games to one and improved to 39-13 overall and 18-9 in the ACC. NC State fell to 32-20 overall and 12-15 in the conference. The Wolfpack remained one game ahead of North Carolina for the eighth and final spot in the ACC Tournament later this month. North Carolina dropped to 11-16 in the conference after falling 5-3 at Virginia.
FSU reliever John Gast (6-2) got the win after allowing three runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out a career-high seven without allowing a walk. NC State reliever Anthony Tzamtzis (4-3) was charged with the loss. He allowed seven runs on six hits in 1 1/3 innings.
The Wolfpack began the game intent on enhancing its reputation as Grand Slam U. 2010. Kyle Wilson led off the top of the first and walked. With one away, Drew Poulk hit a double to right-center, and FSU starter Scott Sitz hit Pratt Maynard with a pitch to load the bases. Andrew Ciencin followed and drove a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left for his eighth home run of the season. The grand slam was Ciencin’s fourth and the team’s eighth of 2010, both of which extended school records.
The big inning was just beginning. Danny Canela singled to right-center and Sitz hit Harold Riggins with a pitch to put runners on first and second. When Sitz’s first pitch to Terran Senay was wide of the strike zone, FSU coach Mike Martin went to his bullpen and brought in Gast. Senay reached on a fielder’s choice and Gast struck out Matt Bergquist for the second out, but Kyle Wilson’s tricky chopper ate up shortstop Stephen Cardullo and went into left field for a single, scoring two more runs, both charged to Gast. Dallas Poulk followed with a single to right to drive in Senay and make it 7-0 , but Poulk strayed too far past first base on the throw back to the infield and was tagged out between first and second after a run-down for the final out of the inning.
The Wolfpack made it 8-0 when Drew Poulk led off the top of the second with his 11th home run of the season.
Florida State sent 12 men to the plate in the bottom of the second and scored eight times. Sean Gilmartin hit a one-out single up the middle and Stuart Tapley hit a swinging bunt up the third-base line for an infield single. Wolfpack starter Ethan Ogburn hit Rafael Lopez with a pitch to load the bases, and Devon Travis doubled off the wall in right-center, driving in a pair and sending Ogburn to the showers. Tzamtzis came in to pitch for the Wolfpack and retired Tyler Holt on a sacrifice fly to right, cutting the lead to 8-3. Tzamtzis then hit Sherman Johnson with a pitch to put runners on the corners for Mike McGee, who doubled into the left-field corner to drive in both runners. James Ramsey followed with a two-run homer to left to make it a one-run game at 8-7, and after a single by Cardullo, Gilmartin tied the game at 8-8 with a double to left.
The Wolfpack broke the tie in the top of the third on back-to-back doubles by Dallas and Drew Poulk. The double by Drew was his third of the series, and his eighth hit in nine at-bats. The tie didn’t last an inning, however. Travis hit a one-out single through the left side of the infield in the bottom half of the inning and Holt walked. Johnson grounded into a force play at first, with Holt erased at second base, but Travis went to third on the play, then scored to tie the score at 9-9 when McGee lined a single just over Ciencin’s glove at third and into left field. Felix Roque came in to pitch for the Wolfpack after McGee’s single, and Ramsey belted a double down the right-field line and into the corner, scoring Johnson and McGee to give Florida State an 11-9 lead.
Johnson led off the bottom of the fifth and lined a single through the right side of the infield. McGee grounded to shortstop, but Johnson was running on the play, allowing the Seminoles to avoid the double play. Grant Sasser came in to pitch for NC State and walked Ramsey, with Johnson stealing third on ball four. Cardullo drove in Johnson with a sacrifice fly to center field, extending the FSU lead to 12-9.
The rain came at 4:21 p.m., and it was a downpour. Dallas Poulk had just singled to right and there was an 0-2 count on Drew Poulk when play was stopped and the field was covered.
NC State will return to action on Tuesday with a non-ACC game vs. High Point. Game time at Doak Field at Dail Park will be 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM and on-line at gopack.com.
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