The baseball team continued to dominate over North Carolina A&T today as the Wolfpack won 14-10. The Pack continue its mastery over the Aggies since it won all 12 of the games between the two teams. With the win, State moves to 11-1 on the season while the Aggies fall to 3-7.
Freshman Anthony Tzamtzis picked up his first career win out of the bullpen while Garrett Braun of A&T got the loss. The game was a back-and-forth affair throughout, with four different lead changes over the course of the game.
“We played pretty good. We played hard and that is the main thing,” junior Russell Wilson said. “When we got down, we kept our composure and kept fighting hard and came up with some big hits and big plays.”
The Pack struggled on the mound in the game as eight different pitches pitched in the game, but it was the work done in the backend of the pen by Tzamtzis and Wilson that helped secure the game for the Pack.
“Today we got to learn a lot more about our staff,” coach Elliot Avent said. “Tzamtzis did a good job coming in and stopping things. We haven’t determined who our closer is and it’s nice to have somebody at the back end of our bullpen. Then Russell had a great game today. He made the great catch today and had a couple hits, then came in and threw a great ninth inning.”
The Aggies got on the board first in the top of the second inning with a two-run homerun by catcher Lester Rivenbark off of freshman starting pitcher Danny Healey, who made his second start of the season. But the Pack tied it back up in the bottom of the inning when sophomore designated hitter Pratt Maynard hit a two-run homerun tying the game at 2-2.
“The game was back and forth a lot,” Maynard said. “They went up in the top of second with a homerun, but we answered back with a homerun from me. It was just a fun game to play in.”
In the bottom of the fourth inning the Pack broke the game open when sophomore Harold Riggins led off the inning with a monstrous homerun. The rally continued with second baseman Dallas Poulk, third baseman Andrew Ciencin, and right fielder Drew Poulk all driving in runs taking the score to 6-2.
The Pack added one run in the fifth when Matt Bergquist drove in catcher Chris Schaeffer, extending State’s lead to 7-2. However, A&T clawed back into the game, scoring three runs in the top of the sixth inning to tighten the game up at 7-5.
The Aggies retook the lead in the top of the seventh when George Hines tripled to left field, driving in two and giving A&T the lead 8-7.
The Aggies lead was short lived as State was able to tie and retake the lead in the bottom of the inning with Maynard and Schaeffer starting the inning off with singles. Freshman pinch hitter Danny Canela was then able to work a walk. The next batter Russell Wilson then hit a single, tying the game at 8-8. After Wilson’s hit the Pack was able to take the lead when pinch hitter John Gianis drew a bases loaded walk, scoring Schaeffer.
From there the team piled the runs on as it scored five more runs, taking the score to 12-8 and putting the game out of reach for good. Avent was especially pleased with how the team responded in the seventh when it got down as well as the play of the guys coming off of the bench.
“I am just really proud of the way they handled everything. Schaeffer had a big hit to left, then we pitch hit Danny Canela and he gets a big walk. Then John Gianis pinch hits and gets the big walk. I was just proud of the way the guys came off of the bench,” Avent said. “I’m just proud of the way the guys played. They are playing like a baseball team.”
