April 4, 2008

Box Score

RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State scored three runs in the first inning and held Wake Forest in check the rest of the way to hand the Demon Deacons a 7-2 loss Friday evening at Doak Field.

With the loss, the Deacons drop to 12-16 overall and 5-7 in the ACC. The Wolfpack improve to 18-9 overall and 6-6 in conference play with its fourth straight victory.

Wake Forest found itself in an early hole and could not catch up. The Deacon hitters struck out 11 times against NC State starter Clayton Shunick over the first five innings.

Wake managed just six hits on the day with no Deacon registering more than one. Austin Jones provided half of the Deacs' offense, hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning. Ben Terry drove in the other run with a bases-loaded walk in the ninth.

Starter Garrett Bullock (3-2) took the loss with six innings of work for the Deacons. The lefty allowed five runs, four earned, on six hits with five walks and four strikeouts. After giving up the three runs in the first, Bullock settled down to just allow single runs in each the third and sixth innings.

Shunick (3-3) baffled the Deacs in earning the win for the Wolfpack. The righthander surrendered one run on four hits in 7 2/3 innings of work. Shunick struck out a career-high 12 batters and walked just two.

NC State put three runs on the board in the bottom of the first. Devon Cartwright led off the rally with a double down the leftfield line. After a walk to Ryan Pond, Matt Payne singled to center to drive in Cartwright. Marcus Jones followed with a double to right center to score Pond. An ensuing RBI groundout from Jeremy Synan brought in the third and final run of the inning. Bullock got two more groundouts to end the inning and strand Jones at third.

The Wolfpack added another run in the third. Payne reached on a one-out single. Two batters later, Russell Wilson drove in Payne with a fielder's choice, beating out what would have been an inning-ending double play.

The Deacons put the first two runners on in the fifth but came up empty. Mike Murray led off with a single, and Dustin Hood followed by reaching on a fielder's choice when Shunick's throw to second went into centerfield. After Andy Goff sacrificed the runners up a base, Shunick recovered to strike out the final two batters of the inning.

Wake put another two runners on base in the sixth but again came away with no runs to show for it. Steven Brooks reached on a one-out walk, and Willy Fox followed with a sharp single to left. Shunick was able to get out of the jam with consecutive groundouts.

NC State pushed its lead to 5-0 with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Chris Schaeffer led off with a single up the middle. Tommy Foschi then reached on a bunt single, and both runners moved up when the throw to first was wild. Cartwright followed with a sacrifice fly to center, driving in Schaeffer.

The Wolfpack added a pair of unearned runs off reliever Ryan Bouton in the seventh. Wilson led off with a double into the leftfield corner. Martin then attempted to sacrifice him to third but reached on a throwing error, putting runners at the corners. Two outs later, pinch hitter Pat Ferguson singled home Martin. Pond then singled to drive in Foschi, but Moore was caught in a rundown trying to score on the play as well.

Jones gave Wake Forest its first run of the game with a leadoff home run in the eighth. Jones hit a 2-2 offering from Shunick to leftfield for his first homer of the season.

The Deacons rallied for another run in the ninth, but it proved to be too little too late as Wake left the bases loaded. Hood reached on a one-out single to right center, and one out later pinch hitter Weldon Woodall also singled to right. Consecutive walks to Jones and Terry scored Hood and chased reliever Drew Taylor. Righthander Kyle Rutter came on to get the final out and notch his first save of the season.

Reliever Mark Adzick pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Deacons.

Payne led NC State at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Seven different Wolfpack hitters had an RBI apiece.

Wake Forest and NC State will play game two of the three-game series on Saturday. RHP Charlie Mellies (0-2, 3.96) will take the mound for the Deacons. LHP Eric Surkamp (1-2, 5.28) is the scheduled starter for the Wolfpack. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at Doak Field.