FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
OMAHA, Neb. – North Carolina State got out to an early lead Sunday and rode a terrific performance by pitcher Carlos Rodon to defeat No. 1 North Carolina in the opening game of bracket two at the 2013 Men’s College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park.
NC State (50-14) will play the winner of UCLA/LSU on Tuesday at 7 p.m. CT. The Tar Heels (57-11) will face elimination against the UCLA/LSU loser on Tuesday at 2 p.m. CT.
Rodon pitched a complete game, allowing just one run. He held the Tar Heels hitless through 4.2 innings and only gave up five hits overall. The national strikeout leader added eight onto his total (178) while walking two.
The Wolfpack seized the offensive momentum with a four-run third inning. Brett Austin started the rally with a double. Tarran Senay pushed him to third with a fly out, and Grant Clyde drove him home with a single to left. Clyde, Brett Williams, Bryan Adametz and Logan Ratledge each had RBI hits in the inning.
NC State chased UNC starter Kent Emanuel after just 2.2 innings. The Tar Heels’ pitching woes continued as three pitchers combined to hit five NC State batters, one shy of a CWS record. In all, the Heels sent eight men to the mound, tied for the most pitchers used in one CWS game.
NC State first got on the board in the first inning. Trea Turner drew a leadoff walk and stole second, then Senay drove him in with an RBI single.
Carolina’s Brian Holberton broke up the no-hitter in the fifth with a two-out single, but Mike Zolk struck out to end the inning. The Heels first got a runner into scoring position in the seventh, after Colin Moran walked and Cody Stubbs pushed him over with a single, but Moran was erased off the bases with a double play.
NC State added another run in the eighth. Ratledge led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a sac bunt by Turner. A sacrifice fly to left by Austin drove him home.
The Wolfpack piled on in the ninth with two more. Clyde walked and Williams and Adametz singled before Jake Armstrong’s fielder’s choice hit Clyde home. Ratledge followed up with a groundout to second that plated Williams.
North Carolina appeared poised to become the second team shut out in 2013 until Chaz Frank opened up the bottom of the ninth with a single and Landon Lassiter drove him in with an RBI double.
Ratledge was the only player with two RBI on the day, although every Wolfpack batter except Jake Fincher reached base. Williams, Adametz and Ratledge finished with two hits each. Clyde became the third player in CWS history to get hit by three pitches in a game, but the only run he scored was after he singled in the third.
