Oklahoma State University Athletics
Baseball Downs North Carolina State, 4-1
June 21, 1999 | Cowboy Baseball
April 21, 1999
RALEIGH, N.C. - Sophomore lefthander Matt Smith pitched six innings of scoreless, two-hit baseball, and Billy Gasparino and Chris Haggard ignited a pair of rallies to drive Oklahoma State to a 4-1 college baseball victory over NC State Wednesday afternoon at Doak Field.
The Cowboys improved to 30-11 with the victory, while NC State dropped to 30-16 with the loss. Smith, who walked none and struck out six, improved to 9-1 with the win and has won in his last six starts.
Wolfpack starter Ryan Steadham (2-4) was charged with the loss after allowing one run on four hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out one.
Steadham and Smith waged a scoreless duel for four innings before the Cowboys pushed the go-ahead run across in the top of the fifth when Chris Haggard doubled to left field, took third on a fly ball to deep center, and scored on a wild pitch. The Cowboys made it 2-0 when Gasparino led off the sixth with a double, took third on a passed ball and scored on Lamont Matthews grounder to second base.
Gasparino led off the top of the eighth inning with his 18th home run of the year, a blast to deep left field, and Oklahoma State made it 4-0 with a run in the ninth. Jimbo McAuliff drew a two-out walk, stole second and went to third when the throw sailed into center field. Haggard then hit a sacrifice fly to left to drive in the run.
The Wolfpack averted the shutout with a run in the bottom of the ninth off of reliever Ryan Herrmann. Rusty Rushing came on with the bases loaded in the ninth and only one out and got out of the jam to record his third save of the season.
Oklahoma State will be in non-conference action at home this weekend with four games on tap. The Cowboys will battle BYU on Friday at 7 p.m. at Reynolds Stadium.
Oklahoma State 000 011 011 - 4 6 0 North Carolina State 000 000 001 - 1 5 1Smith, Herrmann (7), Leu (9), Rushing (9) and Haggard; Steadham, DAmato (6), Baker (7), Combs (9) and Mooney, Ferguson. W- Smith 9-1, L- Steadham 2-4, Sv- Rushing (3). HRs-Gasparino (18).
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