Courtesy: Brian Utesch Kyle Wilson had three hits, drove in three runs and stole two bases, including his 30th of the season for a new school record, as NC State defeated Appalachian State 10-6 Tuesday.
RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, all with two out, and rallied past Appalachian State 10-6 on Tuesday night at Doak Field at Dail Park.
Kyle Wilson and Pratt Maynard drove in two runs apiece in the Wolfpack’s big inning, which answered a three-run inning for the Mountaineers in the top of the inning to take a 6-4 lead. Sam Brown, who was on the mound in the top of the eighth and served up a three-run homer to Wes Hobson, was the beneficiary of the six-run uprising in the home half of the frame and was the winning pitcher, improving to 3-0. Brown worked two innings and was charged with three runs on five hits. He struck out three and did not issue a walk.
NC State jumped to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on Drew Poulk’s solo home run to left field, his second long ball in as many games. The homer was his seventh of the season, which gives him the team lead.
Leads were never safe in this game, which featured four lead changes. Jerod Faggert led off the top of the third for the Mountaineers and singled up the middle, and Ran Smith reached when he was hit by a pitch from Wolfpack starter Vance Williams, who then walked Hobson to load the bases with none out. Isaac Harrow singled to right field to tie the game at 1-1, marking the end of the evening for Williams. Kyle Rutter came out of the bullpen and promptly got David Towarnick to ground into a double play, scoring Smith with the go-ahead run.
The Pack answered with a pair in the bottom of the inning. Wade Moore led off and walked. Moore went to second on Dallas Poulk’s sacrifice bunt, then took third on a wild pitch. Kyle Wilson singled to right-center to drive in Moore with the tying run, and Wilson went to second when right fielder Ryan Arrowood overran the ball for an error. Wilson stole third and scored on Drew Poulk’s single up the middle, giving the Wolfpack a 3-2 lead.
Kyle Wilson got the Wolfpack started in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out single up the middle, then stole second, his 30th of the season, which set a new school single-season record for steals. Jeff Meszar held the old record of 29, set in 1992. Wilson went to third when Faggert’s throw from catcher bounced into center field for an error. Devon Cartwright and Drew Poulk walked to load the bases, and Maynard walked to force in Wilson and make it 4-2.
Nick DeRose drew a one-out walk in the top of the sixth and went to second on a wild pitch. Arrowood grounded to second base for what should have been the final out of the inning, but Pat Ferguson dropped the ball for an error, with DeRose scoring from second base on the play, trimming the lead to 4-3.
The score stayed at 4-3 until the top of the eighth. Arrowood reached on a one-out single to center and Smith hit a two-out single to right. Hobson then pulled a hanging slider down the line and over the right-field wall for a three-run homer and a 6-4 Appalachian State lead.
Again, the lead proved to be short-lived. Ferguson led off the bottom of the eighth and singled through the right side of the infield, but pinch-hitter John Gianis struck out and Moore flied out to right field. Dallas Poulk rolled a single up the middle, and Kyle Wilson drove a double to right-center, scoring Ferguson and Poulk to tie the score at 6-6. Devon Cartwright gave the Wolfpack a 7-6 lead with a single up the middle, scoring Wilson. Drew Poulk was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second, and Maynard smoked a double to right field, driving in Cartwright and Poulk to make it 9-6. Maynard went to third when the throw from right field skipped past the second baseman for an error. Maynard then scored on a wild pitch to make the final score 10-6.
Cory Mazzoni got the final three outs, but it was not a save situation. Mazzoni walked one.
The Pack will return to action Thursday for the first game of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series with Clemson. These will be the final three games of the regular season. Game times will be 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 1 p.m. on Saturday. All three games will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM (88.1) and over the internet on gopack.com via Pack Pass.
Courtesy: Brian Utesch
