NC State Baseball Stays Hot, Downs UNCG 3-2

Wednesday, April 2

Raleigh, N.C.

7:00 PM

NC State

24-7

UNC-Greensboro

21-7

UNC-Greensboro

NC State

4/2/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 2, 2003

Final Stats

RALEIGH, N.C. - Justin Riley belted a one-out solo homer in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday to lift 12th-ranked NC State past UNC Greensboro 3-2 in college baseball action at Doak Field.

NC State improved to 24-7 on the season with the win, while UNCG dropped to 21-7. Riley's long ball made a winner out of freshman righthander Joey Devine (4-0). Devine pitched the top of the ninth inning and allowed one hit, but otherwise was overpowering, striking out three. The zero he put on the scoreboard in the top of the ninth inning extended his string of consecutive scoreless innings to 22-1/3. Jarrett Santos (6-1) took the loss for the Spartans after allowing two runs on three hits in 3-1/3 innings. He walked none and fanned four.

UNC Greensboro scored the game's first run in the top of the second. Ryan Gordon led off with a single to right field and went to third on Craig Warren's single to left. Kirk Strebin followed with a sacrifice fly to right. Joe Gaetti's throw was strong and accurate, but Gordon slid in just under Colt Morton's tag to give UNCG a 1-0 lead.

Morton tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth with his 11th home run of the season, the first in the as yet partially renovated Doak Field.

UNCG broke the tie in the top of the sixth, thanks to wildness on the part of Wolfpack pitching. Jason Saltalamacchia singled up the middle with one out and went to second on a wild pitch by starter Jason Duncan. Gordon's grounder to second moved the runner to third, and reliever Collin Brown unleashed another wild pitch, allowing the run to score and giving the Spartans a 2-1 lead.

Riley led off the bottom of the seventh with a single past third base and went to second on David Hicks's grounder to second base. After Marc Maynor struck out for the second out of the inning, Chad Orvella hit a sharp bouncer that took a funny hop and skipped past Whalen at first base for an RBI single that tied the score at 2-2.

Devine entered to start the ninth and struck out Whalen on three pitches, struck out Strebin on four pitches, gave up a check-swing infield single to Chris Mason, and then struck out Clay Wehner on three pitches.

Santos started out the bottom of the ninth by retiring Morton on a grounder to shortstop, but Riley hit the 1-0 pitch over the new 15-foot red wall in left for his fifth homer of the season, sending the crowd of 978 home happy.