RALEIGH, N.C. – The Presbyterian College baseball team took an early lead but fell in the series finale of its weekend set at No. 5 North Carolina State, 12-3, at Doak Field.
PC moves to (23-25) on the year and will next head to Vanderbilt for a Wednesday night matchup at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time. NC State improves to 37-11.
Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill, S.C.) blasted a two-run home run in the first inning to give PC its second straight lead. The junior's fourth home run of the season put the visitors ahead 2-0 until the Wolfpack scored four runs in the third.
Bud Jeter (Columbia, S.C.) moves to 5-5 with the loss despite allowing only one earned run (five total) in six innings of work.
Aaron Preston (Goose Creek, S.C.) picked up two hits and an RBI for the Blue Hose, who tallied a series-high seven hits in the contest.
Preston's single and steal in the third inning put the outfielder in scoring position but the Blue Hose could not convert. NC State answered in the bottom of the frame, using a single followed by an error and a sacrifice fly to score its first run of the game. A passed ball and two walks brought in another run before a Jake Armstrong single put the Wolfpack ahead, 4-1.
Brett Austin scored another run via RBI single in the fourth to extend the home team's lead. Jeter held NC State scoreless in the fifth and sixth before leaving the game to start the seventh. NC State struck for five runs in the inning, taking advantage of four hits. Michael Ricchi (McKinney, Texas) took the mound with two outs and induced a flyout to end the frame and leave the bases loaded.
Weston Jackson (Greer, S.C.) beat out an infield single to lead off the eighth, followed by a Jay Lizanich (Greer, S.C.) fielder's choice to keep a runner at first. The play brought up Preston, who ripped a double to right center that scored Lizanich. A Brandon Paul (Augusta, Ga.) single sent Preston to third but a strikeout ended the inning without a fourth PC run.
NC State scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth thanks to an error to take the score to its final result, 12-3.
Carlos Rodon earned the win to move to 6-2.
-----------------------------------------------------
Presbyterian College 200 000 010 - 3 7 2 (23-25)
NC State............ 004 100 52X - 12 13 1 (37-11)
-----------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Presbyterian College - JETER, Bud; SANDERS, Chad(7); MORRIS, Ryan(7);
TREBENDIS, Michael(7); RICCHI, Michael(7); HAYES, Trey(8) and SWAB, Robby. NC State -
Carlos Rodon; Ryan Wilkins(8); Dillon Frye(9) and Brett Austin; John Mangum.
Win-Carlos Rodon(6-2) Loss-JETER, Bud(5-5) T-2:46 A-1629
HR PC - ZEBEDIS, Brad (4).
Weather: chilly, overcast, 59 degrees
TREBENDIS, M faced 3 batters in the 7th.
