April 17, 2005

Box Score

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - NC State rallied from a 6-2 deficit and held off a late Wake Forest rally for an 8-7 victory in the rubber game of a three-game ACC baseball series from Hooks Stadium Sunday afternoon. With the victory, the Wolfpack improve to 27-11 overall and 9-9 in the ACC, while the Demon Deacons fall to 16-21 overall and 9-12 in the conference.

Trailing 8-7 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, the Deacs mounted a rally on NC State All-American closer Joey Devine. Redshirt sophomore Brendan Enick led off the inning with a single right back up the middle. Senior Matt Miller then popped out on his sacrifice bunt attempt. Junior Casey Sterk followed with a single to left field, which would have scored Enick from second base and tied the game, 8-8, had Miller been able to lay down the bunt. Devine then struckout freshman Andy Goff for the second out of the inning. Freshman Brett Linnenkohl grounded into a fielder's choice and Sterk was forced out at second base to end the game.

Wolfpack junior Jason Duncan picked up the victory in relief. The junior (4-0) tossed 2.1 hitless innings and fanned five without a walk. Devine picked up his second save in the series and eighth of the season. The junior is 8-for-8 on the campaign in save attempts.

Wake Forest starter Brian Bach kept the Demon Deacon lead at 6-2 until the top of the sixth inning. After retiring the first Wolfpack hitter, Aaron Bates followed with a single. Aaron Cone then laced a ball into centerfield. Miller came racing in on the ball, but was unable to make the catch as the ball proceeded to roll all the way to the wall. Bates came around to score and Cone ended up with a triple. With the Demon Deacon lead down to 6-3, Jake Muyco made it 6-4 with a RBI single.

NC State regained the lead with a devastating four-run eighth inning. Bach, who stayed in the game to open the inning, issued a leadoff walk to Matt Devine. The walk was Bach's first and only of the afternoon. Freshman Eric Niesen would replace Bach and promptly walked consecutive batters to load the bases with no outs. After Wake Forest closer Kyle Young replaced Niesen, Muyco brought the Wolfpack within a run, 6-5, on an RBI single. With the bases still loaded, Young did induce a double play, but Bates scored to tie the game, 6-6.

Lee Mezistrano followed with a slow roller toward Ingold. The senior charged the ball, but his throw sailed over Wake Forest first basemen Brendan Enick. Cone scored on the play and Mezistrano would move to second on the error. Ramon Corona would punish the Deacs for the error and pushed the NC State lead to 8-6 with an RBI single.

The Deacs would draw within a run, 8-7, on a solo home run from Tucker. The blast was Tucker's team-best eighth of the season and 13th of his career. The home run was the first off Joey Devine in 30.1 innings .

Niesen (1-2) was charged with the loss. The southpaw did not retire a batter and walked both of the hitters he faced. Young tossed the final 2.0 innings and allowed a run, unearned, on three hits.

After being held scoreless over the first three innings, Wake Forest finally started to figure out NC State starter Gib Hobson. Trailing 2-0, Antonelli, who reached base with a leadoff walk, quickly stole second base then moved to third base on Ingold's sacrifice bunt. Tucker drove Antonelli in with a sacrifice fly to cut the Wolfpack lead to 2-1.

The Deacs then awoke for five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out, Miller walked and Sterk followed with a RBI double down the left field line driving in Miller from first base. After Hobson was able to retire Goff on a ground out, Linnenkohl followed with an RBI to give the Deacs a 3-2 lead. Ingold followed with an RBI single and Tucker drove in two more with a two-run double giving the Deacs a 6-2 advantage.

Tucker led the Deacs offensively. The catcher went to 2-for-3 with a run scored and four RBI. Antonelli and Sterk also added two hits. Antonelli went 2-for-3 with a couple runs scored, while Sterk went 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI.

Bach was solid on the mound for Wake Forest, but did not factor into the decision. The senior worked 7.0+ innings and allowed four earned runs on eight hits. The right-hander struckout four and walked just one.

Wake Forest returns to action Tuesday afternoon against Winthrop. First-pitch at Hooks Staduim is scheduled for 3 p.m.

-- WakeForestSports.com --