Pitt Drops Series Opener To NC State

Friday, March 27

Raleigh, N.C.

3:00 PM

Pitt

11-13, 0

North Carolina State

15-9, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Pitt	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	3	5	5	2
NC State	0	0	0	2	9	2	1	0	X	14	17	2

Pitt Drops Series Opener To NC State

3/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 27, 2015

Box Score | Season Stats

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RALEIGH, N.C. -- A nine-run fifth broke a 2-2 tie and lifted NC State against Pitt, 14-5, in the series opener on Friday, March 27 at Doak Field.

NC State (15-9, 4-5 ACC) did its damage in the fourth through seventh innings, plating all 14 of its runs during the four-inning span and pounding out 17 hits overall. Both were season-highs by a Pitt opponent.

Wolfpack starter Cory Wilder (2-4) took a no-hitter into the fifth and finished the game with eight strikeouts in five innings of work. He allowed two runs on only one hit.

For Pitt (11-13, 4-6 ACC), Sophomore T.J. Zeuch (2-3) was handed his second straight loss allowing a career-high six runs (five earned) on nine hits in four innings. The nine hits allowed was a season-high and matched a career-high. Zeuch's three strikeouts was also season-low.

Sophomore Manny Pazos recorded two of Pitt's five hits, including a triple and one run batted in. Redshirt freshman Frank Maldonado extended his reached bases streak to 22 games with a two-run homer in the ninth and redshirt sophomore Jacob Wright had a RBI single.

Through the first three innings, the teams combined to put just four runners on base as the score remained tied 0-0.

It wasn't until the bottom of the fourth when NC State struck first with two runs on four hits. Preston Palmeiro led off the frame with a single and moved up to second on a passed ball. A RBI single down the left field line by Jake Armstrong brought in Palmiero for game's first run. One pitch after Armstrong stole second, a single from Andrew Knizner up the middle made it 2-0.

Pitt answered both runs in the top of the fifth after leaving a pair of runners on base in each of the previous two innings. Junior Ron Sherman was hit by the first pitch, putting a runner on to start an inning for the third straight time. Finally, the visiting Panthers broke up Wilder's no-hitter when Pazos tripled to the right center gap, scoring Sherman all the way from first. Pazos came home shortly after on a wild pitch to knot the score 2-2.

NC State stole the momentum right back in the bottom half of the inning however, exploding for nine runs on seven hits, to extend the lead to 11-2. The scoring was capped by a two-run blast from Logan Ratledge. The nine runs were the most by a Pitt opponent in an inning since Maryland scored that many in the third inning on May 9, 2014.

Following a leadoff single by Brock Deatherage, the Wolfpack smacked three straight doubles to put three more runs on the scoreboard before knocking Zeuch out of the game after four-plus innings. Pitt turned to freshman Ryan Campbell, who retired the first batter he faced on strikes. However, that would be the last batter Campbell would sit down as the next four batters reached base for NC State, resulting in four more runs. Armstrong scored on an error and two batters later Joe Dunand doubled in a pair. Joel McKeithan followed that up with an RBI single of his own, sending Campbell to the bench.

Senior Nick Parnell was brought in to counter the lefty-righty-lefty combo and struck out two, but allowed the two-run shot to Ratledge in between.

The Wolfpack tacked on two more runs in the sixth and one in the seventh, bringing the score to 14-2. In the sixth, it was on a single from Ryne Willard that allowed two runs to score, with the second coming in on an errant throw by Maldonado. Knizner's RBI single produced the one run in the seventh.

Pitt would not go down quietly, adding three runs and four hits to its final total in the ninth inning. Junior Aaron Schnurbusch barely missed a home run when his hit bounced off the top of the wall in left center. He settled for his team-leading seventh double and 12th extra base hit of the season. On the very next pitch, Maldonado went to the opposite field, clubbing a home run to right center for his team-leading fifth round-tripper of the season. Following an error and a groundout, Pazos dropped in a single to left, placing runners on the corners for Wright, who beat out an infield single to score one final run.

Ratledge, Armstrong and Knizner all had three hits for the Wolfpack, with the three combining for seven RBIs.

The second game of the series will take place on Saturday, March 28 at 2 p.m.