Miami Drops Series Opener To N.C. State, 9-2
April 28, 2006
RALEIGH, N.C. (www.hurricanesports.com) – The No. 22 Miami Hurricanes stranded 10 runners and gave up three home runs to No. 15 North Carolina State in a 9-2 series-opening loss at Doak Field on Friday night.
Miami (27-16, 12-10 ACC) equaled N.C. State’s (32-13, 14-8) 10 hits, but mustered only one for extra bases. The Hurricanes were unable to take advantage of its scoring opportunities, leaving the bases loaded in the first inning and failing to advance runners after a pair of leadoff singles in the sixth to net zero runs in both innings.
Matt Mangini doubled twice, homered and scored three runs to lead a potent N.C. State offense. Six of the Wolfpack’s 10 hits went for extra bases, including home runs by Mangini, Aaron Bates and Caleb Mangum.
Carlos Gutierrez (8-5) lasted 4.2 innings and gave up nine hits and eight earned runs with a walk and a strikeout in the loss for the Hurricanes. N.C. State starter Gib Hobson (6-1) gave up one earned run and allowed eight hits, all singles across seven innings with five strikeouts and two walks in the win.
Roger Tomas went 3-for-4 for Miami, posting his first three-hit game since the season opener.
N.C. State led off the second, third and fourth innings with doubles and scored in all three innings.
Mangini doubled and moved to third on a long fly out to center by Brian Aragon in the second. Ryan Pond grounded out to second to bring Mangini home and give the Wolfpack a 1-0 lead.
Miami tied the game in its half of the third. Jon Jay singled to leadoff the inning and stole second with one out. Mangum’s throw went into centerfield on the play, allowing Jay to move to third. Danny Valencia grounded out to drive in Jay and put the score at 1-1.
Bates hammered a two-run home run on a two-out, 3-2 pitch from Gutierrez to put the Wolfpack ahead, 3-1, in the third.
N.C. State added two more runs in the fourth. Mangini doubled to lead off the inning and scored from third on Pond’s one-out single. Mangum singled and Diaz grounded out to put runners at second and third with two outs. Matt Camp hit an infield to drive in Pond for a 5-1 cushion.
Mangini pushed the lead to 6-1 with a two-out solo shot to dead center in the fifth. Gutierrez gave up a single to Aragon and walked Pond before he was spelled by Jon McLean. Mangum took McLean deep to left on the second pitch he saw to increase the lead to 9-1.
Jemile Weeks hit a two-out single to center in the seventh to score Tomas from third for the final run of the game.
Miami and N.C. State continue their series on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will be televised locally by FSN Florida.
Notes: Jay’s stolen base in the third inning was his 20th of the season, setting a new career high (19, 2004) and his run was the 150th of his career … N.C. State matched its largest winning margin against Miami, equaling the seven-run gap it posted in a 14-7 win against the Hurricanes on May 21, 1993.
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