North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
15-9, 0
Pittsburgh
11-13, 0
#Pack9 Rocks Pitt 14-5 in Series Opener
3/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Box Score | Box Score 
| Play-by-Play 
| Top Performers: Logan Ratledge (3-for-5, HR, 2 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI), Cory Wilder (5 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K) |
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| PITT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
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| NC STATE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | X | 14 | 17 | 2 |
NC State posted double figures for the third-straight game to whitewash Pittsburgh 14-5 on Friday night at Doak Field at Dail Park, the first of a three-game series.
The Wolfpack (15-9, 4-5 ACC) extends its current win streak to four games by outhitting the Panthers (11-13, 4-6) 17-5.
The Pack scored nine runs in the fifth inning to take the 11-2 lead.  Three straight RBI-doubles started the offensive barrage, as Logan Ratledge, Preston Palmeiro, and Jake Armstrong provided the two baggers in order. Later in the inning, Joe Dunand and Joel McKeithan smacked doubles to right center and left, respectively, Dunand's scoring a pair and McKeithan's pushing one across.
Ratledge went 3-for-5 with his fourth homer of the year, three RBIs and three runs.  Armstrong provided a 3-for-5 outing with two RBIs and two runs. Andrew Knizner finished the game 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run.  
State struck first in the fourth, after Armstrong smoked an RBI-single down the left field line to score Palmeiro. One batter later, Knizner continued the scoring, drilling another RBI single past the second baseman to put the Pack up 2-0.
Following the nine-run fifth, State's biggest inning of the year, the Wolfpack added two insurance runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh to secure the win. 
Wolfpack starter Cory Wilder (2-4) was credited with the win on five innings, allowing two runs on one hit and tying a career-high with eight strikeouts.  Wilder fanned five of the first six batters he faced on the afternoon.
Relievers Joe O'Donnell and Evan Brabrand went the rest of the way, with O'Donnell working a perfect sixth, and Brabrand no-hitting the Panthers in the seventh and eighth. The Wolfpack pitching staff combined to strike out 13 batters.
NC State returns to action on Saturday 2 p.m. for game two of the series with Pitt, streaming on GoPack All-Access. Radio coverage will be provided by 88.1 WKNC. Fans can also follow along with Twitter updates from @NCStateBaseball or live stats from GoPack.com.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wilder, Cory (2-4)
L: T.J. Zeuch (2-3)
S: Voiron, Luke (1)
Batting:
2B: Aaron Schnurbusch 1
3B: Manny Pazos 1
HR: Frank Maldonado 1
RBI: Jacob Wright 1 ; Frank Maldonado 2 ; Manny Pazos 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Aaron Schnurbusch 1 ; Frank Maldonado 1 ; Jordan Frabasilio 1 ; Ron Sherman 1 ; Manny Pazos 1
HBP: Nick Yarnall 1 ; Ron Sherman 1
Batting:
2B: Ratledge, Logan 2 ; Palmeiro, Preston 1 ; Armstrong, Jake 1 ; Dunand, Joe 1 ; McKeithan, Joel 1
HR: Ratledge, Logan 1
RBI: Ratledge, Logan 3 ; Palmeiro, Preston 1 ; Armstrong, Jake 2 ; Knizner, Andrew 2 ; Willard, Ryne 1 ; Dunand, Joe 2 ; McKeithan, Joel 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Deatherage, Brock 1 ; Ratledge, Logan 3 ; Palmeiro, Preston 2 ; Armstrong, Jake 2 ; Knizner, Andrew 1 ; Fincher, Jake 2 ; Willard, Ryne 1 ; Dunand, Joe 1 ; McKeithan, Joel 1
SB: Armstrong, Jake 1
HBP: Willard, Ryne 1
