RALEIGH, NC North Carolina State pounded out 21 hits and scored runs in each of the first six innings en route to a 24-3 win over the UNC Greensboro baseball team Wednesday evening at Doak Field.
NC State (19-4) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after one inning of play as the Wolfpack capitalized on an UNCG error charged to leftfielder Brandon Harvey. After Aaron Bates earned a two out walk, Brian Aragon skied a fly ball into leftfield which got caught in the gusting wind, preventing Harvey from making what normally would be considered a routine out. By the time the ball hit the ground, Bates had already rounded third base and Aragon had scampered safely into second.
The Wolfpack tacked on another two runs in the second inning on an RBI groundout from Jonathan Diaz and a sacrifice fly courtesy of Matt Camp. NC State exploded for eight runs in the home half of the third inning, highlighted by two-run doubles from both Matt Mangini and Aaron Cone, to take an 11-0 lead.
Corona struck again in the bottom of the fourth, connecting for a three-run home run to centerfield as NC State extend its lead to 15-0. Diaz earlier plated Jon Still on an RBI fielder's choice to account for the first run of the frame.
Sophomore catcher Adam Deleo put the Spartans (4-13) on the board in the top of the fifth with a lead off home run over the leftfield wall. It was his first roundtripper of the season and only his second career four-bagger in a UNCG uniform. Second baseman Greg Feltes produced UNCG's second run of the inning with an RBI double off the left-centerfield wall to score Shane Thompson, who doubled before him. Jermaine Mitchell followed with an RBI single up the middle to score Feltes and extend his hitting streak to 11 games.
That was as close as UNCG would get as NC State answered with two unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Drew Martin and an RBI double off the bat of Bobby Hubbard, leaving the score 17-3.
Corona finished the game 3-for-7 with five runs driven in for NC State. Matt Payne recorded his first win of the season after allowing three runs on six hits while striking out three and walking one in five innings of mound duty.
UNCG junior Ryan Clear (0-3) suffered the loss after surrendering four runs on one hit while striking out one and walking four in two plus innings on the hill.
Thompson led UNCG at the dish as the Wilmington, NC native went 3-for-4 on the afternoon in his first career start at UNCG. Feltes and Mitchell chipped in at the plate as the duo both collected two hits and an RBI.
The Spartans return to action Friday evening when UNCG welcomes Albany to UNCG Baseball Stadium for a three-game series. First pitch between the Spartans and Great Danes is scheduled for 6 p.m.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro...... 000 030 000 3-11-3 (4-13)
NC State................... 128 421 06X 24-21-0 (19-4)
Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Clear; Martin, G. (3); Nichols (3); Gibson (5); Currin (6); Erskine(8) and Adam Deleo.
Pitchers: NC State - Payne; Taylor (6); McLaurin (7); Knapp (8); Brookens (9) and Jon Still.
Win: Payne (1-0). Loss: Clear (0-3)
HR: UNCG - Deleo (1); NC State - Corona (2).
- UNCG -
