The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
North Carolina State
No. 4 Baseball eliminated from NCAA Austin Regional with 6-3 loss to No. 21 N.C. State
06.04.2006 | Baseball
AUSTIN, Texas -- The Wolfpack came up with a pair of two-out doubles in the top of the eighth to score three runs and break a 3-3 tie as No. 4 Texas lost a 6-3 decision to No. 21 N.C. State in front of 4,346 fans at Disch-Falk Field during an elimination game at the Austin NCAA Regional on Sunday, June 4, 2006.
With the loss to N.C. State (40-22), which now advances to the regional championship game against Stanford, the Longhorns are eliminated from the Austin NCAA Regional Tournament and complete the 2006 season with a 41-21 overall record.
Singles by Jordan Danks (Round Rock, Texas) and Nick Peoples (Round Rock, Texas) to open the bottom of the first combined with a throwing error to place runners at second and third with no outs for UT. Drew Stubbs (Atlanta, Texas) and Chance Wheeless (Round Rock, Texas) then came through with a RBI-groundout and a sacrifice fly, respectively, to give Texas a 2-0 lead. N.C. State answered in the top of the second as Jon Still connected on a solo home run over the center field wall to cut the lead in half at 2-1. Notably, Still became the 30th player to accomplish that feat at Disch-Falk Field, which has now been done 34 times - the last being Stubbs against Vanderbilt on June 12, 2004.
One inning later, the Wolfpack would threaten by getting runners at second and third with two away, but starter Adrian Alaniz (Sinton, Texas) induced his next batter to fly out and keep the lead in tact. From there, both starting pitchers settled the game into a duel as they allowed only one base runner apiece through the fifth. In the top of the sixth, N.C. State got an infield hit and a walk to open the frame with two base runners. Still then delivered a double in front of a sac fly from Ryan Pond to give the Wolfpack its first lead of the contest at 3-2. While Alaniz worked out of further trouble in the inning with a fly out and a pop-up, N.C. State starter Gib Hobson continued to handcuff the Longhorns' offense by not allowing a hit from the third inning through the sixth.
With one out and no one on base in the bottom of the seventh, Carson Kainer (Tomball, Texas) and Hunter Harris (Tulsa, Okla.) came up with back-to-back doubles to knot the score at 3-3 for UT. N.C. State responded with a pair of singles to open the top of the eighth, but relievers Joseph Krebs (Bridgeport, Texas) and Randy Boone (Yoakum, Texas) got a sac bunt and a strikeout to hold the runners to second and third with two down. Even so, Jonathan Diaz and Matt Camp came up with consecutive doubles to plate three runs and give the Wolfpack a 6-3 lead. With Texas down to its final two at bat, the Horns tried to rally, but Hobson set down his next six batters in order to seal the complete-game victory. While Hobson, who allowed only two earned runs on five hits and struck out three over nine innings, picked up the win, Alaniz, despite working seven strong innings shouldered the loss.
Leading the way offensively for the Longhorns were Harris, who drove in one run while collecting a career-best two doubles, and the trio of Danks, Peoples and Kainer, who each went 1-for-4 with one run scored. N.C. State, meanwhile, was paced by Still, who went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI, and the tandem of Camp and Ramon Carona, who each tallied a pair of hits on the afternoon. Of additional note for UT, Harris completed his senior campaign by equaling his career-best hit streak as he hit safely in each of Texas' final six contests.
NCAA Regional Tournament Game Notes
Game #5: No. 2 North Carolina State vs. No. 1 Texas
Tournament Notes:
- Today's game marked the second time that NC State and Texas have met on the baseball field in the postseason. NC State has now both of those contests. Additionally, the Wolfpack has won all four games in which they have played the Longhorns.
- Today's attendance 4,346 marks the fifth straight NCAA Austin Regional game to tally over 4,000 spectators. Additionally, all five games have recorded temperatures of at least 90 degrees.
NC State (40-22):
--Team Notes:
- The win over Texas marked the first time in school history that NC State beat the host team in an NCAA Regional game. It also marked the first time the Wolfpack have recorded back-to-back wins in NCAA Tournament elimination games.
- NC State will move on to play No. 3 Stanford in the title game on June 4th at 4 p.m. CST.
- NC State has tallied 10-plus hits in 43 of 62 games this season.
- NC State improves to 31-3 when out-hitting their opponent in 2006.
--Individual Notes:
- Junior designated hitter Jon Still's second-inning home run was his seventh of the season and his first career NCAA postseason home run. Additionally, he becomes only the 30th player in Disch-Falk Field history to clear the 20-foot wall in center field and the first player to do so this season.
- With his 100th hit of the season, senior center fielder Matt Camp recorded his team-leading 34th multi-hit game.
- Junior pitcher Gib Hobson has thrown two complete game victories in his last three starts and becomes just the 16th pitcher in NC State history to record 10 or more victories in a season.
Texas (41-21):
--Team Notes:
- With the loss, Texas falls to 28-12 in NCAA postseason elimination games and is eliminated from the 2006 NCAA Regional Tournament.
--Individual Notes:
- Freshman right fielder Jordan Danks has hit safely in six of his last seven games.
- Junior third baseman Nick Peoples has reached base safely in 33 of the last 35 games and owns hits in 15 of the last 19 contests.
- Senior designated hitter Hunter Harris has hit safely in six straight (ties career high) and 12 of his last 13 games. Additionally, today's game marked the first time in his career in which he hit two doubles in the same game. Harris is also batting a team-best .682 (15-for-22) when leading off an inning this season.
- With his Big 12-leading 25th double of the season, junior left fielder Carson Kainer has hit safely in 18 of the last 19 games.
