Technician Online

June 1st, 2008

N.C. State baseball - Sunday Regional action

10:11 p.m. 

With the crowd on its feet, Alex Sogard stays on the mound to close the game out. After striking out and popping out the first two batters respectively, Sogard gets Scott Wingo to ground out to third. The players stormed the field and the he Pack takes the regional and will wait for tomorrow’s game between Georgia and Georgia Tech to see where it will end up next weekend. 

9:46 p.m. 

The Gamecocks had two on with two outs with all-world hitter Justin Smoak up to bat. Smoak smoked the ball to centerfield, and from the pressbox it looked as though it would clear Lee Hall. But Jones calmly stepped under it and got the Pack out of the inning. Six outs away from a Super regional. 

9:23 p.m. 

With two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the 7th, right fielder Matt Payne came through in the clutch. A dribbler in no man’s land between third base and short found enough daylight to advance the runners and give State a 2-1 lead. In the next at bat, Marcus Jones sent a shot down the third base line that was snagged by the Gamecock third baseman. Brown is on for his third inning of work, this time with the lead. 

9:05 p.m. 

Brown is still looking good for the Pack, and he may be able to keep going into the 7th inning. The final out of the inning came on a hot shot grounder to third baseman Drew Martin, the ball bounced off his glove and into the air. Shortstop Tommy Foschi grabbed the ball in midair and lasered it to first base for the out.  

8:58 p.m. 

Atwood gets through another inning, and any work he’s getting at this time should be bonus for the Gamecocks. If Atwood can continue pitching well it would set South Carolina up well for the rest of tonight and into tomorrow, despite already playing a game today. The Pack threatened with a single by Matt Payne and a Jason Syman walk, but State couldn’t capitalize. 

8:47 p.m. 

Brown came out hurling the ball, finishing off a 1-2-3 inning with a swinging strikeout of James Darnell. The majority of the crowd is back in the park and fired up after the quick half inning. Atwood is back to pitch for South Carolina.

8:30 p.m. 

UPDATE: Sam Brown is on to relieve Surkamp. 

After lightning and a light rain shower drifted through the area, fans have re-entered the stadium and the players are warming up. Word is that the game will resume at 8:45 p.m. Atwood has been warming up for South Carolina, but no word yet on if he’ll come out. 

 

7:24 p.m.

Sure enough, the delay is on. Though it hasn’t started raining, lightning delays are around the field. With the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the 5th, it will be interesting to see how each coach manages their pitching staff — specifically each team’s starter, as both are still in the game. 

7:17 p.m. 

Just as the Wolfpack gets on the board with a Jeremy Syman solo shot to right field, a weather delay appears imminent. As State threatens with men on first and second, clouds threaten Doak Field – especially the blow up Mr. Wuf in right field, he seemed to collapse under the gusts of wind, but it could be that the grounds crew members were just preparing for stronger weather.  

7:03 p.m. 

Surkamp is still struggling to find the plate, but the Pack is only down 1-0 going into the bottom of the 4th. Atwood finally gave up a walk and Matt Payne crushed a ball to the warning track, but South Carolina centerfielder Whit Merrifield ran the ball down nicely. Still no hits on the Gamecock lefty.  

6:45 

Atwood keeps his perfect game going. Dallas Poulk grounded out to Havens at shortstop who made a nice throw and Poulk got calledo out on a controversial call. The State crowd erupted and Avent charged out of the dugout to protest. Another two quick outs followed. Perfect game so far for Atwood. 

 

6:35 p.m. 

State’s bats are struggling early against South Carolina’s lefty pitcher Will Atwood, swinging early in the count and not finding any room. The opposite can be said of SC’s bats, who are making Surkamp work for his strikes. But despite having a runner on base, Surkamp holds, but not before another scare from Havens — this one holding up at the warning track. 

 

6:20 p.m.  

South Carolina’s Reese Haven’s picked up right where he left off earlier this afternoon. After hitting a walkoff homer against James Madison, Havens knocked a leadoff homerun over the right field wall to give the Gamecocks a 1-0. And after State pitcher Eric Surkamp walked two batters, the Wolfpack crowd gave a few sarcastic cheers when the umpire called strikes on  DeAngelo Mack. But they held their collective breath when Mack crushed a ball down the left field line, but just foul.

 

5:50 p.m. 

Despite the sad departure of the great Spanky McFarland and the JMU Dukes, tonight’s game at Doak Field is another sellout, with fans lined up outside the stadium’s entrance begging for tickets.

South Carolina only used three pitchers in the afternoon game, but coach Ray Tanner said the team’s closer Mike Cisco is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game after throwing 11 pitches. And to face lefty starter Will Atwood, State coach Elliott Avent is throwing a righty lineup at the Gamecocks. Devon Cartwright is getting the start at designated hitter and the only lefty hitters are offensive mainstays Jeremy Synan and Dallas Poulk. 

 

5 p.m. 

After a South Carolina walkoff homerun against James Madison earlier today, tonight’s rematch between the Gamecocks and N.C. State is set. JMU, who had used all but two freshmen pitchers coming into today’s game, fought the odds again and mounted a comeback, tying the game in the 9th. But South Carolina’s Reese Havens crushed a two run homerun to win the game.

Gamecocks coach Ray Tanner said junior lefthander Will Atwood (5-3, 5.47 ERA) will most likely get the start tonight, against State’s probable starter Eric Surkamp (5-2, 4.39 ERA). N.C. State could seal the regional with a win tonight, but would otherwise have to play tomorrow in a winner-take-all game.

State fans are also hoping for a little luck south of Raleigh, as Georgia has to win out to clinch its regional. If Georgia loses and the Wolfpack wins its regional, State will host a super regional here in Raleigh next weekend. The Bulldogs are leading Lipscomb now, but will have to beat Georgia Tech twice to advance.

I’ll be updating the blog throughout tonight’s big game with extra tidbits, so make sure to keep checking blogs.technicianonline.com as well as http://www.ncaa.com for further coverage.

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