Mazzoni Shuts Out #15 Tigers in N.C. State’s 6-0 Win Friday

March 25, 2011

Raleigh, NC –

Righthander Cory Mazzoni pitched a four-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts and N.C. State broke a scoreless tie with five runs in the fifth inning in its 6-0 victory over #15 Clemson in front of 1,176 fans at Doak Field on Friday night. The Wolfpack, who took a 1-0 series lead, improved to 13-10 overall and 2-5 in the ACC. The Tigers, whose five-game winning streak came to an end, fell to 12-8 overall and 3-4 in the ACC. N.C. State’s win also snapped Clemson’s eight-game, regular-season winning streak in the series.

Mazzoni kept the Tigers off balance all game and at one point retired 16 batters in a row from the second to the seventh inning. The Wolfpack scratched with five runs in the fifth inning thanks to a homer, two doubles, and two singles. Clemson threatened to cut into N.C. State’s lead late in the game, but the Tigers left the bases loaded in the eighth inning and stranded runners at second and third in the ninth inning.

Mazzoni (2-2) allowed four hits, no runs, and two walks with 10 strikeouts in his complete-game effort. He became the first opposing pitcher to pitch a shutout against Clemson since May 22, 2008, when another Wolfpack righthander accomplished the feat. In a seven-inning game in the ACC Tournament, Clayton Shunick pitched a two-hitter with eight strikeouts in N.C. State’s 10-0 victory.

Scott Weismann (2-3), the first of four Tiger pitchers, suffered the loss. He gave up eight hits, five runs, and two walks with one strikeout in 4.1 innings pitched. He allowed just three hits and no runs through the first four innings before N.C. State tagged him for five runs in the fifth inning.

N.C. State took the game’s first lead with five runs on five hits in the fifth inning. Matt Bergquist laced the first pitch of the frame down the left-field line for a double and moved to third on John Gianis’ flyout to deep right-center. Chris Diaz then belted another double down the left-field line to score Bergquist. Pratt Maynard followed with a single through the right side on a 1-2 pitch. Chris Epps’ throw from right field would have forced a close play at the plate, but the ball was cut off and Diaz slid in safely. After Andrew Ciencin lined a single through the left side, Harold Riggins crushed an opposite-field, three-run homer to right-center, his second long ball of the season.

In the sixth inning, Bergquist flared a one-out single to center and scored on Gianis’ double to right field.

Gianis, Ciencin, Williams, and Bergquist all had two hits apiece to lead N.C. State, who totaled 12 hits in the game. Bergquist added a game-high two runs, while Riggins had a game-high three RBIs on his long ball.

Jeff Schaus, Will Lamb’s 11-game hitting streak came to an end as well.

Spencer Kieboom was penciled into the starting lineup prior to Friday’s game. But during batting practice, a ball struck the Tiger catcher in the head. He was scratched from the lineup and did not play on Friday due to a concussion. He is listed as day-to-day for the remainder of the series.

Clemson and N.C. State will play game-two of the three-game series on Saturday at 2:00 PM.