April 20, 2013
THE FLATS – NC State’s All-American lefty Carlos Rodon pitched a complete game as the 17th-ranked Wolfpack defeated No. 16 Georgia Tech, 6-2, Saturday night at Russ Chandler Stadium. Junior LF Kyle Wren had two hits and drove in both runs for the Yellow Jackets.
State (31-10, 13-7) put up three runs in the third to seize a 3-0 lead, and that would be all Rodon needed to improve his record to 4-2. Tech slipped to 27-12, 11-9 in dropping its first home series this season.
Wren finished the night 2-for-4 and swiped his 19th base this season and the 51st of his career to move into a tie for 13th all-time at Tech with Darren Bragg (1988-91). The junior is hitting a team-best .444 in ACC play.
“We’re scuffling right now offensively,” said head coach Danny Hall. “We’ve just got to keep working and believing in each other. Give them (NC State) credit. They’ve done a good job of getting guys on, getting them in scoring position and getting them in.”
Tech starter Dusty Isaacs maneuvered around trouble in the first and second innings, and nearly escaped the third with no damage before the Pack went to work with two outs. Terran Senay’s two-out RBI single put the visitors on the board. Brett Williams followed with a single, swiped second and Grant Clyde’s two-run base hit made it 3-0.
Isaacs was afforded one run of support over his five innings and was on the hook for the loss (4-4). Over his last three starts, the Jackets have scored just two runs in the 14.1 innings he’s been on the mound.
Tech got one run back in the bottom of the third as Mott Hyde, who was 2-for-3, ripped a one-out single up the middle, swiped second and scored when Wren slashed a two-out single to left. Wren came through with another two-out RBI single to score A.J. Murray in the eighth inning.
Rodon retired nine-consecutive after Wren’s third-inning single and the Wolfpack added to the lead in the sixth with an RBI single from Trea Turner, who later hit a solo homer in the eighth. Rodon finished the night scattering eight hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts.
“He (Rodon) is tough to hit,” said Hall. “He’s got a very good slider and enough velocity to keep you honest. When you don’t walk anybody, you’ve got a chance to win, especially when you’ve got stuff like he’s got.”
The series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. and the game will be live on ESPN3.
