Northwestern
NC State
Wildcats Fall Victim to Wolfpack's Late Rally, 4-1
3/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 22, 2011
Site: Raleigh, N.C. (Doak Field)
Score: NC State 4, Northwestern 1
Records: NU (5-11), NC State (11-10)
Next NU Event: Wednesday, March 23 -- at NC State, 2 p.m. CT
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Junior right-hander Michael Jahns allowed just one run over 4 1/3 innings pitched, but Northwestern fell victim to three-run bottom of the eighth inning by NC State in falling 4-1 Tuesday evening in the first game of a two-game series.
The Wildcats got runners to third base with two outs in both the second and third innings, but were unable to come through with a clutch hit to take the lead.
NC State put the first run of the game on the board in the bottom of the fifth as a walk and a hit batter put two on with no one out. With runners on the corners and one away, John Gianis singled to center field to put the hosts up 1-0. A walk loaded the bases with one out, but lefty reliever Matt Gailey came on and prevented any further damaged by getting a flyout and a forceout to prevent any further damage.
Northwestern bounced right back to tie the game in the top of the sixth with some help from the Wolfpack. Chris Lashmet and Paul Snieder started the frame with back-to-back singles. Following a strikeout, NC State replaced Vance Williams on the mound with Chris Overman. A fielder's choice left runners at the corners with two down before a passed ball plated Lashmet from third to make it 1-1.
The game remained knotted until the bottom of the eighth when a walk, a single and a hit batter loaded the bases with no one out. A two-run double by Matt Bergquist and another run-scoring double by Chris Schaeffer proved to be the difference as NU went down in order in the ninth.
Lashmet collected two of the Wildcats' five hits to raise his season average to an impressive .413. Gailey was handed the loss.
The teams conclude their brief two-game series with a contest beginning at 2 p.m. Central time Wednesday.
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