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NC State Takes Series With Walk-Off Win
May 1, 2005 | Baseball
May. 1, 2005
RALEIGH, N.C. - Left fielder Ryan Kinneberg broke a 7-7 tie with a 10th-inning single to lift NC State (32-13, 13-11) to an 8-7 win Sunday and a series victory over seventh-ranked North Carolina (36-10-1, 15-6-1 ACC) at Doak Field. All three games of the series were decided in the final inning, with two going extra innings.
Kinneberg's base hit drove in pinch runner Jason St. Julien from third for the Pack's second walk-off hit in the three-game series. First baseman Aaron Bates started the rally with a leadoff double, and Lee Mezistrano followed with a single to left to put runners on the corners. Kinneberg then roped a hit over a drawn in outfield for the game-winner.
Carolina reliever Jonathan Hovis (5-3) took the loss after allowing one run on four hits and one walk over two innings. NC State's Phillip Davidson (5-3) picked up the win after allowing just one run over 3.2 innings.
Freshman first baseman Chad Flack sent the Tar Heels and Wolfpack to extra innings for the second straight day with a solo home run in the top of the ninth. Carolina could have taken a lead in the top of the 10th when second baseman Bryan Steed raced toward home on a hit to left center by shortstop Josh Horton, but Steed was thrown out at the plate to keep the game tied at seven.
Senior catcher Justin Webb drove in four runs for the Tar Heels on a two-run triple in the second and a two-run single in the seventh. Twenty-eight of Webb's 36 RBI this season have come in ACC play. He also scored two runs on the day.
Horton, who was 3-for-6, hit safely for the sixth straight game, a career-best hitting streak. He had eight hits in the series, including four Saturday. Flack was 2-for-5 with the homer and two runs scored, and right fielder Jay Cox also added two hits. The Tar Heels had 14 hits on the day and tallied 30 over the final two games of the series.
Bates was 2-for-5 with four RBI on a grand slam in the third inning. Second baseman Ramon Corona went 3-for-5, and center fielder Matt Camp had two hits to lead the Pack at the plate.
After UNC starter Adam Kalkhof set down the Pack in order in the first, Carolina put up three runs in the second to take the early lead. After a single by right fielder Jay Cox and a walk to center fielder Chase Younts, Webb plated the first two with a triple into the right field corner. Third baseman Reid Fronk followed with a single to left to drive in Webb and give the Tar Heels a 3-0 lead.
Highlighted by the grand slam from Bates, NC State put up six runs in the third to take its first lead of the day. After retiring the first seven batters he faced, Kalkhof loaded the bases on two walks and a single by shortstop Jonathan Diaz. Bates then connected for his team-best seventh home run to left to give the Pack a 4-3 advantage. Following a single by designated hitter Mike Jensen, freshman Andy Gale came on for Kalkhof, walked two and hit right fielder Brian Aragon to plate the fifth run of the inning. Senior righty Bryan Phillips then entered and walked catcher Jake Muyco to drive in the sixth and final run. Phillips struck out Diaz, the 12th batter of the inning, to leave the bases loaded.
Carolina chipped one run off the lead in the fourth on a single to left center by Horton. The hit drove in Webb, who reached on an error by Diaz with one out in the inning. The Tar Heels went on the load the bases in the inning but failed to push any more runs across.
UNC also threatened in the sixth with runners on the corners and just one out. Designated hitter Matt Ellington struck out, and the Tar Heels tried a double steal with second baseman Greg Mangum racing toward home on the play. He collided with Muyco at the plate, was tagged out and was ejected for what was ruled a flagrant collision. Steed replaced Mangum at second.
Webb finally tied the game for the Tar Heels in the seventh with a two-run single to center. Flack singled to lead off the inning, and back-to-back walks to left fielder Mike Daniel and Younts loaded the bases for Webb, who came through with the game-tying hit off NCSU reliever Sam Walls.
State went ahead again in the bottom of the eighth when it opened the inning with back-to-back singles from center fielder Matt Camp and second baseman Ramon Corona off UNC reliever Matt Danford. Hovis then came on and hit the first batter he faced to load the bases. Mezistrano followed with a walk to drive in the go-ahead run.
Flack then tied the game at seven with the solo home run to lead off the ninth. He took the first pitch he saw from Davidson off the scoreboard in left center for his 10th homer of the season and the first of the series for the Tar Heels.
Kalkhof lasted just 2.2 innings and allowed five runs on three hits and two walks and struck out three. One run was charged to Gale, who did not retire a batter, and Phillips allowed one hit and three walks over 1.2 innings. Danford went 2.2 innings and gave up one run on four hits and two walks.
State starter Gib Hobson went 5.1 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits and three walks.
The Tar Heels will now break for final exams and return to action at Boshamer Stadium against Coastal Carolina on May 11.
