May 6, 2006

BOX SCORE

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Longwood University dropped an 18-4 collegiate baseball road decision at nationally-ranked #17 North Carolina State Saturday in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Lancers are now 20-23, while the Wolfpack of the Atlantic Coast Conference improved to 33-15 with the home win. The two teams will play again Sunday, May 7, at 1 p.m. in North Carolina.

North Carolina State scored three runs in the first inning, and led just 3-1 after a Longwood run in the third inning before the nationally-ranked Wolfpack scored four runs in the third, four more runs in the fourth inning, two runs in the sixth inning, and five late runs in the seventh inning. The Lancers added two runs in the fourth, and one run in the seventh while getting just eight hits and committing five errors. NCSU collected 19 hits with just one miscue.

In the third, junior Ryan Rowe/Richmond (Varina) (1-2) doubled down the right field line with one out, advanced to third on a single from classmate and captain Tyler Ames/Exmore (Northampton) (2-4, RBI), and scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman Paul Heidler/Warrenton (Notre Dame Academy) (1-4, RBI). In the fourth, freshman Jon Quigley/Annandale (W.T. Woodson) (1-2) was hit by a pitch to lead-off the inning and went to second on a wild pitch before scoring on an RBI double down the left field line by classmate Brandon Maupin/Woodbridge (Potomac) (2-4, 2 RBI). Sophomore Nick von Gersdorff/Purcellville (Loudoun Valley) (0-3), who had walked, later scored the second run of the inning when Ames drew a bases-loaded walk as well. In the seventh, Quigley drew a one-out walk and crossed the plate on Maupin’s second RBI double, again down the left field line.

N.C. State scored its three runs in the first with just two hits, aided by an error, before adding four runs in the third on four hits including two doubles and a triple. The Wolfpack’s four-run fourth included two hits and another error, including a three-run inside-the-park home run by Ryan Pond (4-5, 6 RBI), while the two runs in the sixth witnessed two more hits and an error again. In the seventh, the hosts plated five runs on four hits and two more errors, getting a three-run home run from Jon Still (3-4, 4 RBI).

Freshman Kevin Light/Mechanicsville (Hanover) (2-7) took the pitching loss with the first 2.0-plus innings for Longwood, allowing seven hits and seven earned runs with one strikeout. The Lancers used five pitchers on the day, with freshman Rob Moody/Midlothian (Midlothian) the most-effective with the final 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, scattering three hits with two strikeouts.

Gib Hobson (7-1) started and earned the mound win for North Carolina State, pitching the first 3.0 innings and yielding three hits and one earned run with one strikeout. The Wolfpack used seven pitchers on the afternoon.