April 28, 2005

RALEIGH, N.C. - In the finale of a three-game set at Walnut Creek on Apr. 28, NC State's (40-23, 7-7 ACC) Abbie Sims struck out 13 Tar Heel (36-25, 9-9 ACC) batters and notched her eighth shutout of the season. Heather Gelbard homered on the second pitch of the game to give NC State the only run it would need in the 1-0 decision. Sims (19-7) allowed just one hit, a soft single in the fifth, and walked five in the win. Lee Hasper, playing her final game on senior day, went 1-for-2 with a double to help the NC State offense. The Wolfpack took the series, two games to one, and could finish as high as third in the conference.

Jen Chamberlin, Shanna Smith and Miranda Ervin each singled in the contest for NC State. North Carolina's Crystal Cox (20-16) took the loss after allowing one run on five hits, one walk and three strikeouts.

Heather Gelbard wasted little time in getting NC State on the board as she hit the second pitch of the game to left field for a solo home run. The laser shot off of Cox was her fifth of the year, and 25th RBI, to give the Wolfpack a 1-0 lead.

Sims retired six straight into the fourth, notching five straight strikeouts during the stretch. With one out in the fourth, a hit-batter and a walk put two on, and both advanced a base on a passed ball. Sims induced two groundouts to end the threat.

North Carolina again threatened as it broke up Sims no-hitter in the fifth on a weak single to right by Joslin Higgins to move Whitney Gelin to third after a leadoff walk. With runners on the corners and one out, Sims struckout the leadoff hitter, Cassie Palmer, and pinch hitter Erica Ennis to strand the runners.

NC State bounced back in the bottom half of the inning on a one-out, ground-rule double by Lee Hasper. Blair Harkey bunted Hasper to third with two-outs, but Gelbard popped up to short to end the inning.

Two more Tar Heels reached in the sixth on two walks around two Sims strikeouts. Sims reached back and struck out Gelin to end the inning for her 11th strikeout of the contest.

Shanna Smith led off the sixth with a single up the middle on a 3-1 pitch, and Miranda Ervin laid down a bunt single to third. Ashleigh Davis came in to run for Ervin to bring up Jen Chamberlin, who loaded the bases by drawing her team-leading 29th walk of the season.

Sims popped up to Cox for the first out of the inning, and pinch hitter Jennifer Patterson came in to bat. Cox struck out Patterson on three pitches, and Allison Cuculich came in to bat for Tess Corona. Smith attempted to steal home but was narrowly caught at the plate by the Tar Heel catcher, Gelin, for the third out of the inning.

In the top of the seventh, the visiting Tar Heels got Higgins on first with a one-out walk after Sims' 12th strikeout of the game started the inning. Sims got Palmer to pop-out, then struckout Marissa May to end the game as NC State took the series two games to one.