Brad Czarnowski and Tim Bush hit back-to-back homers in the second inning and Czarnowski added another in the seventh off NC State All-American pitcher Michael Rogers but it wasn't enough as the Pack rallied to top Northeastern 7-6 at Doak Field in Raleigh, N.C. on Friday.
The game was tied 6-6 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth when Lee Mezistrano singled home the game-winning run off NU freshman Adam Ottavino. Ottavino took the loss after allowing one run on one hit in 1 2/3 innings. He walked one and did not register a strikeout. The Huskies dropped to 6-3 while the 20th-ranked Pack improved to 12-3.
Bush and Czarnowski homered back-to-back in the top of the second inning, giving the Huskies a 2-0 lead. NU starter Jordan Thomson cruised through the first seven NC State hitters in order and had not allowed a run through the first three innings when the Wolfpack struck for three runs in the bottom of the fourth.
The Huskies scored twice to retake the lead in the top of the fifth. Czarnowski led off and was hit by a pitch, Matt Morizo walked, and Eric Murray's sacrifice bunt was so well-placed that it went for a single to load the bases. Rogers almost got out of the jam when he got leadoff hitter Mike Steinberg to ground into a 1-2-3 double play, but Arman Sidhu singled off the wall in left to drive in Morizo and Murray, and give Northeastern a 4-3 lead. Sidhu was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a double, ending the inning.
NC State got three more in the bottom of the fifth. Matt Camp doubled with one out and went to third on a wild pitch. With two down, Kinneberg singled to center to drive in Camp, and Hicks hit a bad-hop single to right to put runners on first and second. Knight then singled to shallow right field to drive in Kinneberg and send Hicks to third, and Mezistrano singled to center to score Hicks, giving the Wolfpack a 6-4 lead after five innings. The Huskies came back in the top of the seventh. Czarnowski led off with his second homer of the game, and Morizio singled to center. Murray flied out, but pinch-hitter Miguel Paquette doubled to right-center, putting runners on second and third, and sending Rogers to the showers. Adam McLaurin came in for the Wolfpack and retired Sidhu on a run-scoring groundout to tie the score at 6-6, and then struck out Chris Emanuele to end the inning.
The Wolfpack's winning rally in the ninth started with two out. Knight walked, and Tim Holt came in as a pinch-runner. Holt stole second on a 2-2 pitch, and on the next pitch, Mezistrano lined a single off the glove of a diving Murray at second base to send Holt home with the game-winner.
The teams play again Saturday at 2 p.m. before the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Northeastern 6 (6-3)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Mike Steinberg dh........ 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Miguel Paquette ph/dh... 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arman Sidhu ss........... 4 0 1 3 0 2 3 3 0
Chris Emanuele cf........ 4 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 2
Paul Koslowski 1b........ 4 0 0 0 0 1 9 1 0
Jeff Heriot rf........... 4 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0
Tim Bush 3b.............. 4 1 1 1 0 1 0 2 1
Brad Czarnowski lf....... 3 2 2 2 0 0 3 0 0
Matt Morizio c........... 3 2 1 0 1 0 5 0 0
Eric Murray 2b........... 4 1 2 0 0 1 0 2 0
Jordan Thomson p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0
Adam Ottavino p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 34 6 9 6 1 9 26 9 3
NC State 7 (12-3)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Camp 2b.................. 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 2 1
St. Julien lf............ 5 0 0 0 0 3 5 1 2
Kinneberg dh............. 4 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
Hicks 1b................. 4 2 1 0 1 0 8 0 0
Knight 3b................ 3 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 0
Holt pr................. 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mezistrano rf............ 5 1 2 3 0 0 1 0 0
Muyco c.................. 4 0 1 1 0 0 10 2 4
Maynor cf................ 4 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1
Diaz ss.................. 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 0
Rogers p................. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
McLaurin p.............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cretarolo p............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 37 7 11 7 3 5 27 11 9
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
Northeastern........ 020 020 200 - 6 9 2
NC State............ 000 330 001 - 7 11 0
-------------------------------------------
Note: 2 outs, 1 runner LOB when the game ended.
E - Sidhu 2(3). DP - Northeastern 1; NC State 1. LOB - Northeastern 3; NC
State 9. 2B - Paquette(1); Camp(5); Muyco(2); Maynor(1). 3B - Heriot(3). HR
- Bush(2); Czarnowski 2(2). HBP - Czarnowski; Knight. SH - Diaz(3). SB -
Holt(1).
Northeastern IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Jordan Thomson...... 7.0 10 6 6 2 5 31 34
Adam Ottavino....... 1.2 1 1 1 1 0 6 8
NC State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Rogers.............. 6.1 9 6 6 1 6 26 28
McLaurin............ 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 2 2
Cretarolo........... 2.0 0 0 0 0 2 6 6
Win - Cretarolo (2-0). Loss - Ottavino (1-2). Save - None.
WP - Thomson 2(2); Rogers(1). HBP - by Rogers (Czarnowski); by Thomson (Knight).
Umpires - HP: Mike Parnell 1B: Rod Gillie 3B: Eddie Gray
Start: 3:01 Time: 2:33 Attendance: 232
Northeastern starters: 19/dh Steinberg; 3/ss Sidhu; 7/cf Emanuele; 9/1b Koslowski;
44/rf Heriot; 45/3b Bush; 17/lf Czarnowski; 11/c Morizio; 2/2b Murray; 23/p Thomson;
NC State starters: 1/2b Camp; 13/lf St. Julien; 8/dh Kinneberg; 22/1b Hicks; 33/3b
Knight; 2/rf Mezistrano; 21/c Muyco; 11/cf Maynor; 23/ss Diaz; 24/p Rogers;
Northeastern 1st - Steinberg flied out to lf. Sidhu struck out. Emanuele
flied out to lf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
NC State 1st - Camp lined out to ss. St. Julien flied out to lf. Kinneberg
flied out to lf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northeastern 2nd - Koslowski fouled out to c. Heriot grounded out to 2b. Bush
homered to left center, RBI. Czarnowski homered to right field, RBI. Morizio flied
out to cf. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
NC State 2nd - Hicks flied out to cf. Knight struck out looking. Mezistrano
flied out to cf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northeastern 3rd - Murray singled to left field. Steinberg struck out
looking. Murray advanced to second on a wild pitch. Sidhu struck out. Emanuele
grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
NC State 3rd - Muyco grounded out to p, bunt. Maynor doubled down the lf
line. Diaz singled through the left side; Maynor advanced to third. Camp grounded
into double play 2b to ss to 1b; Diaz out on the play. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors,
1 LOB.
Northeastern 4th - Koslowski struck out, out at first c to 1b. Heriot struck
out looking. Bush grounded out to 3b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
NC State 4th - St. Julien struck out. Kinneberg walked. Hicks walked;
Kinneberg advanced to second. Hicks advanced to second on a wild pitch; Kinneberg
advanced to third. Knight singled up the middle, RBI; Hicks advanced to third;
Kinneberg scored. Mezistrano reached on a fielder's choice, RBI; Knight out at
second 2b to ss; Hicks scored. Muyco doubled to left field, RBI; Mezistrano scored.
Maynor flied out to lf. 3 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Northeastern 5th - Czarnowski hit by pitch. Morizio walked; Czarnowski
advanced to second. Murray singled to pitcher, bunt; Morizio advanced to second;
Czarnowski advanced to third. Steinberg grounded into double play p to c to 1b;
Murray advanced to second; Morizio advanced to third; Czarnowski out on the play.
Sidhu singled to left field, out at second lf to ss to 2b, 2 RBI; Murray scored;
Morizio scored. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
NC State 5th - Diaz out at first 1b to p. Camp doubled to left center. St.
Julien struck out looking. Camp advanced to third on a wild pitch. Kinneberg singled
up the middle, RBI; Camp scored. Hicks singled through the right side; Kinneberg
advanced to second. Knight singled to right field, RBI; Hicks advanced to third;
Kinneberg scored. Mezistrano singled to center field, RBI; Knight advanced to
second; Hicks scored. Muyco fouled out to 1b. 3 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors, 2
LOB.
Northeastern 6th - Emanuele struck out. Koslowski flied out to lf. Heriot
tripled to left center. Bush flied out to 3b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
NC State 6th - Maynor struck out. Diaz singled through the right side. Camp
popped up to p, bunt. St. Julien struck out looking. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
Northeastern 7th - Czarnowski homered to right field, RBI. Morizio singled up
the middle. Murray flied out to lf. Paquette pinch hit for Steinberg. Paquette
doubled to right center; Morizio advanced to third. McLaurin to p for Rogers. Sidhu
grounded out to ss, RBI; Paquette advanced to third; Morizio scored. Emanuele struck
out. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
NC State 7th - Paquette to dh. Kinneberg lined out to 1b. Hicks reached on an
error by ss. Knight hit by pitch; Hicks advanced to second. Mezistrano grounded out
to 3b; Knight advanced to second; Hicks advanced to third. Muyco flied out to rf.
0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.
Northeastern 8th - Cretarolo to p for McLaurin. Koslowski flied out to rf.
Heriot grounded out to 2b. Bush struck out looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
NC State 8th - Ottavino to p for Thomson. Maynor reached on a throwing error
by ss. Diaz grounded out to 3b, SAC; Maynor advanced to second. Camp grounded out to
ss; Maynor advanced to third. St. Julien grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 1
error, 1 LOB.
Northeastern 9th - Czarnowski grounded out to ss. Morizio flied out to lf.
Murray struck out. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
NC State 9th - Kinneberg flied out to cf. Hicks grounded out to 1b
unassisted. Knight walked. Holt pinch ran for Knight. Holt stole second. Mezistrano
singled through the right side, RBI; Holt scored. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
