Photo by: James Guillory
NC State Baseball Opens Virginia Tech Series with 5-2 Win
4/28/2017 10:56:00 PM | Baseball
Redshirt senior Johnny Piedmonte threw 6.2 innings to remain unbeaten
RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State baseball team earned its third consecutive win against Virginia Tech Friday night at Doak Field at Dail Park, 5-2. Prior to the game, head coach Elliott Avent was presented a commemorative helmet for earning his 1,000th career win and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper threw out the first pitch.
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Redshirt senior Johnny Piedmonte made his first weekend start of the season for NC State (23-20, 9-14 ACC) and delivered a strong performance to record the win and remain unbeaten at 4-0. He retired seven straight at one point in the contest and finished with four hits allowed, two earned runs and five strikeouts.
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Wolfpack batters jumped on Virginia Tech (20-24, 8-14 ACC) starting pitcher Kit Scheetz, who allowed five runs in 5.2 innings and suffered the loss.
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Junior Joe Dunand hit his fourth homer in the last three games to give NC State its first run of the game on his ACC-leading 16th round-tripper. Two batters later, freshman Will Wilson smacked his third home run of his collegiate career with a line drive shot to left center, giving the Wolfpack a 2-1 advantage.
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The Hokies evened the score at two in the top of the fifth after a solo home run by Ryan Tufts. They scored their first run of the game in the first inning after a sacrifice fly from Sam Fragale.
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In the bottom of the sixth, the Wolfpack scored three runs to take a 5-2 lead. Brett Kinneman singled to start the inning and moved over to second after Evan Mendoza walked. Brock Deatherage reached on an infield single to load the bases with two outs. Stephen Pitarra slipped a two-RBI single through the left side of the infield, allowing Kinneman and Mendoza to score.
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NC State scored its final run of the frame and the game on a double steal attempt, as the throw from the VT catcher to second base skipped into center field to plate Deatherage from third.
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Pitarra led the Wolfpack at the plate with a 2-for-4 performance to go along with two RBI and a double. Dunand was 2-for-3 with a homer, while Kinneman notched a 2-for-4 outing with a run scored. Deatherage, Mendoza and Wilson each had one hit.
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Joe O'Donnell finished the game on the mound for NC State to log his second save of the season with 2.1 shutout innings, allowing just one hit.
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NC State will return to action Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. for game two of the series against Virginia Tech.
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#STATEMENT
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Redshirt senior Johnny Piedmonte made his first weekend start of the season for NC State (23-20, 9-14 ACC) and delivered a strong performance to record the win and remain unbeaten at 4-0. He retired seven straight at one point in the contest and finished with four hits allowed, two earned runs and five strikeouts.
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Wolfpack batters jumped on Virginia Tech (20-24, 8-14 ACC) starting pitcher Kit Scheetz, who allowed five runs in 5.2 innings and suffered the loss.
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Junior Joe Dunand hit his fourth homer in the last three games to give NC State its first run of the game on his ACC-leading 16th round-tripper. Two batters later, freshman Will Wilson smacked his third home run of his collegiate career with a line drive shot to left center, giving the Wolfpack a 2-1 advantage.
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The Hokies evened the score at two in the top of the fifth after a solo home run by Ryan Tufts. They scored their first run of the game in the first inning after a sacrifice fly from Sam Fragale.
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In the bottom of the sixth, the Wolfpack scored three runs to take a 5-2 lead. Brett Kinneman singled to start the inning and moved over to second after Evan Mendoza walked. Brock Deatherage reached on an infield single to load the bases with two outs. Stephen Pitarra slipped a two-RBI single through the left side of the infield, allowing Kinneman and Mendoza to score.
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NC State scored its final run of the frame and the game on a double steal attempt, as the throw from the VT catcher to second base skipped into center field to plate Deatherage from third.
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Pitarra led the Wolfpack at the plate with a 2-for-4 performance to go along with two RBI and a double. Dunand was 2-for-3 with a homer, while Kinneman notched a 2-for-4 outing with a run scored. Deatherage, Mendoza and Wilson each had one hit.
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Joe O'Donnell finished the game on the mound for NC State to log his second save of the season with 2.1 shutout innings, allowing just one hit.
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NC State will return to action Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. for game two of the series against Virginia Tech.
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#STATEMENT
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Piedmonte, Johnny (4-0)
L: Kit Scheetz (3-2)
S: O'Donnell, Joe (2)
Batting:
2B: Tom Stoffel 1 ; Joe Freiday, Jr. 1
HR: Ryan Tufts 1
RBI: Ryan Tufts 1 ; Sam Fragale 1
SF: Sam Fragale 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ryan Tufts 2
HBP: Ryan Tufts 1 ; Tom Stoffel 1

Batting:
2B: Pitarra, Stephen 1 ; Dunand, Joe 1
HR: Dunand, Joe 1 ; Wilson, Will 1
RBI: Pitarra, Stephen 2 ; Dunand, Joe 1 ; Wilson, Will 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dunand, Joe 1 ; Kinneman, Brett 1 ; Wilson, Will 1 ; Mendoza, Evan 1 ; Deatherage, Brock 1
SB: Pitarra, Stephen 1 ; Kinneman, Brett 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
Players Mentioned
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