Boston College Athletics
Boston College
North Carolina State
No. 22 NC State Edges Eagles, 3-2
April 26, 2008 | Baseball
April 26, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. - Terry Doyle (3-6) held NC State (29-13, 14-8 ACC) to just one hit over five innings, but it was not enough as Boston College (20-23, 5-18 ACC) dropped the second game of the three-game series to the Wolfpack, 3-2, on Saturday night at Doak Field.
Doyle had his strongest performance on the mound in conference play this season. In his five innings of work, the senior allowed two runs, one earned, on just one hit with five strikeouts. Nick Asselin, Pat Dean, John Leonard and Steven Cadoret combine to work three innings and allow one unearned run.
Eric Surkamp (4-2) earned the victory on the hill for NC State. The lefty tossed five innings and allowed one earned run on three hits, with six punch outs. Joey Cutler and Jimmy Gillheeney combined to toss the final five frames. Cutler worked 3.1 innings and allowed one earned run on three hits with five strikeouts. Gillheeney recorded the final two outs to earn his 10th save of the season.
Mickey Wiswall and Matt Hamlet each collected two hits, while Garret Smith blasted his third homer of the season to lead the BC offense.
The Eagles made their first threat of the game in the top half of the fourth against Surkamp. In a scoreless tie, Eric Campbell drew a one-out walk. Wiswall followed with a single through the right side. Hamlet reached on a fielder's choice to put runner son the corners with two down. Surkamp kept BC off the scoreboard when he enticed Smith to ground out to end the inning.
In the bottom half of the fourth, the Wolfpack pushed across a run without the use of a hit. Pat Ferguson and Matt Payne worked back-to-back walks against Doyle. Jeremy Synan hit a ground ball deep in the hole between first and second, that second baseman Hamlet attempted to turn a double play on. Hamlet's throw was off target and allowed Payne to reach base safely and Ferguson to score the first run of the game.
NC State put Doyle in a jam in the fifth. Nick Stanley led off the inning with a base hit to left, the first hit of the day for the Wolfpack. After Doyle collected back-to-back strikeouts, leadoff hitter Dallas Poulk walked. After a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position, BC chose to intentionally walk Ferguson to load the bases. The next batter, Payne, drew a walk on a full count to extend the lead, 2-0.
The Eagles answered with a run in the top half of the sixth. Michael Belfiore led off with a double into the right-center field gap. Tony Sanchez followed a single to right. NC State right fielder fired the ball over the head of the cut-off man to the plate. Sanchez tried to advance to second, but was gunned down by the catcher for the first out of the frame. BC tallied its first run on a sac fly by Eric Campbell to plate Belfiore.
The Wolfpack used three singles, two of which stayed in the infield, to load the bases against right-handed reliever Nick Asselin. A pitch squirted out of the glove Sanchez, which allowed Pond to score to third run of the game. Asselin used a strikeout and fly out to get out of the inning.
Smith blasted a solo homer down the left-field line, his third of the season, in the seventh to cut into the NC State lead, 3-2.
The Eagles made it interesting in the ninth. With one out, Wiswall laced a double down the right-field line. Robert Anston entered the game as a pinch-runner for Wiswall. Hamlet was up next and collected a base hit through the left side. Anston tried to score from second on the play, but was gunned down at the plate by left fielder Synan. With two down, Smith laced a line drive into the right-center field gap that Payne tracked down to end the game.
BC is back on the diamond tomorrow afternoon at Doak Field in Raleigh, N.C., for the series finale against the Wolfpack. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
