Marshall University Athletics
NC State Takes Both Games of Doubleheader with Herd
3/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
NC State Takes Both Games of Doubleheader with Herd
3/8/2003
- Box Score - Game One
- Box Score - Game Two
CLAYTON, N.C. ? The North Carolina State Wolfpack took both games of Saturday?s doubleheader with the Marshall Thundering Herd, winning game one 9-4, before unleashing four home runs that scored seven Wolfpack base runners in an 18-10 victory in game two at Clayton H.S. Field.
The Marshall pitching staff could not handle the hot bats of the Wolfpack in game two of the doubleheader, surrendering 15 hits in the loss. The Thundering Herd (3-7) fell behind 12-0 by the end of the fifth inning, due largely to a six-run NC State outburst in the second inning.
NC State designated hitter Colt Morton belted a three-run homer in the second frame, culminating the Wolfpack?s huge inning. Adam Hargrave started things off with a single through the right side that scored Conor Clougherty. Jeremy Dutton?s single to center field plated two more runners prior to Morton?s home run.
Rick Suter?s (St. Clairsville, Ohio) outing ended in the third inning after allowing a lead off double, followed by a Marc Maynor triple that scored Clougherty. Fritz Conrad (Ocoee, Fla.) relieved Suter (0-2) and pitched three innings, allowing four runs.
Conrad?s first batter faced hit a RBI single that scored Maynor, after two foul pop ups to the right side were misplayed, keeping Chad Orvella?s at bat alive.
NCSU?s Brandon Shipwash, due to the game relocation, was afforded the opportunity to pitch at his high school alma mater?s home field in Clayton, N.C. Shipwash (1-0) made the most of his start, pitching six innings and giving up seven hits and two runs to earn the victory.
Dutton and Joe Gaetti hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning, both solo shots that upped the N.C. State lead to 12 runs.
Craig Dziedziejko (Kitchener, Ont.) eventually got the Herd on the scoreboard with a solo home run in the sixth inning. The Herd added its second run of the game when Roddy Stieger (Westchester, Ohio) singled to center field, plating Francois Larmore (Magnolia, N.J.).
Larmore and Bryan Helmer (Huntington, W. Va.) both hit home runs in the eighth inning for the Thundering Herd. Larmore added a three-run homer, his third of the season, in the ninth inning off of reliever Jimmy Campbell.
In game one, NC State junior Joe Gaetti ripped Marshall pitching for two solo home runs, with his second blast turning out to be the game-winner in the fifth inning, as the Wolfpack downed Marshall 9-4. Gaetti was 3-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored.
Mike Rogers (4-1) recorded the victory for NCSU, pitching seven innings and striking out seven Thundering Herd hitters. The Wolfpack tallied 10 hits and seven runs in five innings on Marshall starting pitcher Grant Harper (Grayson, Ky.), whose record fell to 0-3.
A four run NC State sixth inning broke the game wide open, highlighted by two Wolfpack doubles that scored two runs each. Gaetti doubled down the left field line along with teammate David Hicks? double to right field.
Marshall jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when junior Corie O?Bryan (Frederick, Md.) knocked his third home run of the season over the outstretched glove of the right fielder Gaetti. Gaetti exacted his revenge in the bottom half of the inning with his first solo homer to shorten the Herd lead at 2-1.
Marshall was hurt by its inability to produce with the bases loaded, twice striking out looking with the bases juiced and two outs. The Herd threatened to cut into NC State?s lead in the eighth inning, but Matt LaFleur (Chesapeake, Va.) did not like the pitch he saw and was punched out by the home plate umpire, stranding three Marshall runners.
Smart base running by catcher Gregg Hiller (Greenville, Ohio) in the second inning led to his crossing of home plate that extended the Herd?s lead to 3-1. With men on first and second base, junior Mike Koitsopoulos (Markham, Ont.) hit a ground ball to third baseman Jeremy Dutton, but the Wolfpack senior was too far away from the bag to complete the force out. Hiller ran back toward second to avoid the tag, delaying Dutton?s throw to first base. This allowed the speedy Koitsopoulos to beat the throw to first, and a throwing error back to third base paved the way for Hiller to score.
Stellar defense by the Thundering Herd in the third inning prevented a potential Wolfpack scoring surge. A diving stop in center field by Josh McConnell (Phenix City, Ala.) kept Adam Hargrave from scoring after his lead off double. NCSU had men on first and third with no outs, but a Harper balk eventually scored Hargrave. A diving stop by Koitsopoulos at shortstop ended the NC State threat and kept the Herd ahead by one run.
McConnell and Koitsopoulos were both 2-for-4 in game one.
Saturday?s Marshall/NC State doubleheader was moved to Clayton H.S. Field due to stadium constraints suffered by the Wolfpack. NCSU?s home venue, Doak Field, is currently undergoing renovations, and the original replacement ballpark, Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C., was hit hard by rain in previous days that made the surface unplayable.
