N.C. State lets one get away after leading 8-1, then comes the Balk and the third-strike pitch

Can’t seem to find my “Short-Term Memory Chip” today.

If you are a fan or follower of any of the N.C. State Wolfpack sports, you have to be a sick wolf puppy this morning….N.C. State was up 8-1 late in the baseball game at TCU on Monday night and they committed 6 errors, gave up 6 unearned runs, had two passed balls and two wild pitches, then with all of that, the Horned Frogs of Texas Christian University jumped back into the NCAA Tournament game and went on to defeat the Wolfpack, 9-8 in 10 innings…

The Wolfpack was up 8-1 as the game went to the bottom of the 8th inning and State gave up enough runs to let TCU get within one run at 8-7….The errors, the passed balls, the wild pitches, the unearned runs all led to the TCU comeback…John Olczak, from Wesleyan Christian Academy, was charged with five unearned runs while on the mound for the Pack….

Then came the bottom of the 9th inning and here comes the balk and the dropped third-strike pitch and the passed ball scores the run to get TCU within one run and with the dropped third- strike pitch the Wolfpack can’t record the second out at first base….If N.C. State gets that second out on the strike out and then if the balk does not happen, the runner that scored is still at second base and then the next batter up after the scored run and the passed ball, the next batter up flies out to center field and with that, the game would have gone State’s way, with a 8-7 final, it would have all been over without that Balk and the dropped third strike and N.C. State is on to the Super Regional versus Texas A&M….

TCU 9th – Odell singled through the left side (1-1 KB). Brown grounded out to 3b, SAC (1-1 FB); Odell advanced to second. Britt to p for Orwig. Odell advanced to third on a balk. Jones struck out swinging, reached first on a passed ball (3-2 KBKBBS); Odell scored on a passed ball, unearned. Crain flied out to cf to right center (1-1 FB). Williams pinch hit for Steinhagen. Jones out at second c to ss, caught stealing. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB

+++++I listened to the game on WRALSportsFan.com and that TCU bunch/fan base is a wild crew.+++++

from www.gopack.com:

The Wolfpack (36-23) built an 8-1 lead through the top eighth behind a sterling effort from Johnny Piedmonte, who worked the first 3 2/3, holding the Frogs (47-12) to one earned on four hits with five strikeouts. Will Gilbert mowed down seven of the next eight batters, four on strikeouts in 2 1/3. The Pack pitching staff fanned 13 on the night, surrendering just two earned runs of the nine scored. A rash of miscues and some poor luck sent the scoreboard spiraling in the home team’s favor.

Eight different Wolfpack batters contributed hits, with Logan Ratledge, Andrew Knizner, and Bubby Riley supplying two each. Six players scored at least once in the game. Riley blasted his third homer of the year. Josh McLain picked the perfect time to unleash his first collegiate extra-base hit, a leadoff double to spark State’s three-run third.

Despite the adversity that knotted the score 8-8 in the bottom ninth, State forced extras against a team with just three losses on its home turf, one to the Wolfpack. In the bottom of the 10th, a walk-off single through the right side extinguished the most memorable NC State baseball season in recent memory.