#22 N.C. State 5, Indiana State 4
2/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - In the first semifinal game, #2 seed Indiana State and #3 seed N.C. State battled in a close game. The Wolfpack threatened early, loading the bases on three singles but Indiana State’s ace Darcy Wood got out of the jam by striking out Megan Dalthorp.
In the third inning, it was the Sycamores who loaded the bases. A hit batter, an error and a walk started the inning to fill the bases. The Wolfpack’s pitcher, Shaina Ervin, fought back to force a popup back to her and then a strikeout swinging, but a two-out hard single up the middle by Audrey Childress brought in two runs, even thought N.C. State’s shortstop, Shanna Smith made a diving stop on the ball.
N.C. State showed why they are ranked No. 22 in the country when they came back to take the lead in the fifth inning on some key two-out hits. Heather Gelbard cut the lead in half with a double to left field to score Allison Presnell. A walk and an error kept the inning alive, loading the bases for Miranda Ervin, who drove a triple to right field to score three runs and give the Wolfpack a 4-2 lead.
The Wolfpack increased its lead to three runs when Shanna Smith tripled with one out and scored after Allison Presnell followed with a double to center field. Indiana State made the game interesting in the bottom of the seventh inning when Sam Markowski hit a two-run home run to left field to make it 5-4. However, Ervin closed out the game with two straight groundouts.
Ervin went seven innings with four runs on two hits and three walks with 13 strikeouts. She picked up the win to improve to 4-2 for the season. Wood also pitched seven innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts to fall to 5-3 on the year.
Ervin also had three RBI in the game while N.C. State scattered six other hits. Childress and Markowksi both had two RBI in the game for Indiana State.
