Wolfpack, Mountaineers Winners Saturday At Clark-LeClair
February 25, 2006 | Baseball
West Virginia 5, Virginia Tech 0
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GREENVILLE, N.C. - N.C. State won Saturday's Keith LeClair Classic opener by a score of 3-2 over Penn State while West Virginia picked up its first win of the weekend with a 5-0 victory over Virginia Tech in Saturday night contest.
Despite combining on eight walks, Mountaineer pitchers Jose Stupka and Kenny Durst combined on a three-hit shutout as West Virginia won the final game Saturday, 5-0, over Virginia Tech. WVU improves to 4-1 with the win while the Hokies drop to 2-2.
WVU starter Stupka picked up the win in his season debut, allowing just two hits in six shutout innings while striking out two and walking five. Durst tossed the final three, giving up just one hit while walking three and striking out four.
In addition to coming away with their first win of the classic, the Mountaineers turned a rare triple play in the top of the third. With the bases loaded and no outs, Bryan Thomas flew out to left for the first out. Warren Schaeffer, the runner at third attempted to go home after tagging up. The throw came in from left and was cut off by third baseman Justin Jenkins, forcing all three runners into run-down situations. Jenkins then threw to the second baseman Tyler Kuhn who went home on the play to catcher David Carpenter. Carpenter tagged out Schaeffer at the plate for the second out before throwing down to third where shortstop Doug Nelms tagged Nate Parks out for the triple play.
Four WVU hitters finished with two hits led by Stan Posluszny who finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Casey Bowling went 2-for-3 with two runs scored while Tyler Kuhn and Jenkins also collected two base knocks.
VT starter Rhett Ballard lasted just 2 1/3 innings before leaving with the loss. Ballard allowed four runs on six hits while striking out one and walking three. Greg Fryman struck out five in 4 2/3 shutout innings in relief before Andrew Wells finished the game for the Hokies, allowing one run in one inning.
Nate Parks, Sheldon Adams and Billy Marn collected the only three hits for the Hokies.
West Virginia didn't waste any time getting on the board, scoring twice in the first and once in both the second and third innings.
Lead-off man Kuhn started the first with a walk and Jenkins doubled to right two batters later, putting runners on second and third with one out. Posluszny then proceeded to single in both runners, putting the Mountaineers up 2-0. Adam White drove Bowling in the second inning with a single to right for the third WVU run. Austin Markel singled home Posluszny in the third with a single to right, giving WVU a 4-0 lead after three.
The Mountaineers added a run in eighth with a White RBI single to close the scoring at 5-0.
N.C. State 3, Penn State 2Download Free Acrobat Reader
N.C. State won for the second consecutive day with a 3-2 win over Penn State in Saturday's opener at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
Ryan Pond's RBI single in the eighth, scoring Matt Mangini proved to be the difference as N.C. State improved to 11-1 while the Nittany Lions fell to 0-5 overall.
Gib Hobson earned the win for the Wolfpack, allowing one unearned run on five hits while striking out five in seven innings of work. Sam Wells earned his first save of the season in two innings of relief work.
Aaron Bates, Jon Still and Mangini all finished with two hits while Still, Pond and Jeremy Synan collected the Wolfpack's three RBI.
Despite a solid outing, PSU starter Mark Wyner suffered the loss, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out five and walking on in 6 2/3 innings of work. Aaron Markowitz, Matt Ogrodnik and David Bumstead combined to toss the final 1 1/3 innings.
Lance Thompson was the lone Nittany Lion with multiple hits, going 3-for-4 with two singles and a double while Brian Ernst and Scott Gaffney each drove in a run.
Bates plated the Wolfpack's first run in the third when Still brought him home on a single to right.
The Nittany Lions tied the score in the bottom of the fifth when a Gaffney sac fly scored James Spinelli from third.
Back-to-back doubles by Jonathan Diaz and Synan led to N.C. State's go-ahead run in the seventh, putting the Wolfpack up 2-1.
The Wolfpack added a third run in the eighth with Pond's RBI single to right.
Pinch-hitter Travis Laird was hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth and later scored the Nittany Lions second run when Gaffney beat out an infield single.
Sunday will mark the final day of the 2006 Keith LeClair Classic. Penn State and West Virginia will play Sunday's opener at 10 a.m., Virginia Tech and East Carolina play the middle game at approximately 1 p.m. before N.C. State and UNC Wilmington battle in the classic finale.
