May 23, 2003

SALEM, Va. - Nate Cretarolo picked the perfect time to show 10th-ranked Georgia Tech just how good he can be. In two previous career appearances against Tech, the Yellow Jackets toughed Cretarolo for 14 runs in five innings. On Friday evening in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, the junior lefthander from Cherry Hill, N.J., tossed a six-hit shutout against the Jackets as No. 12 NC State rolled to a 6-0 win that sends the Wolfpack, now 41-14 on the season, into a 5 p.m. game Saturday against North Carolina. The winner of that game will be guaranteed a berth in the tournament's championship game.

Cretarolo (5-3) was masterful against the Yellow Jackets, who dropped to 40-16. He walked one hitter, Eric Patterson leading off the bottom of the first inning, and then did not issue a walk the rest of the game. He hit a batter and struck out six. He picked two runners off first base and allowed just one Georgia Tech runner to reach scoring position.

Cretarolo got two outstanding defensive plays behind him. Tyler Greene led off the top of the third with a fly ball to deep center field. Marc Maynor caught the ball on the run over his right shoulder and with his back fully turned toward home plate, a play reminiscent of Willie Mays' great catch in the 1954 World Series. Steven Blackwood led off the top of the sixth with a sharp grounder up the middle, but shortstop Chad Orvella dived, catching ball fully extended, quickly jumped to his feet and gunned down Blackwood at first base. Other than that, Cretarolo was in complete control, and got stronger as the game went along. He finished the game strong, retiring 13 of the last 15 men he faced.

"I threw strikes tonight and had command of all of my pitches," Cretarolo said,. "When I throw strikes I feel more confident and relaxed on the mound."

Kyle Bakker (8-2) took the loss for Georgia Tech. He allowed five runs, all earned, on 10 hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out four.

Cretarolo got plenty of offensive help from his teammates. The Wolfpack broke a scoreless tie with a run in the bottom of the third. Matt Camp lined a one-out double off the glove of left fielder Matt Murton, went to third on a fly to right by Jeremy Dutton, and scored on Justin Riley's single to left.

Joe Gaetti led off the bottom of the fourth with a double off the wall in left-center and went to third on David Hicks's grounder to first. After Chad Orvella struck out, Marc Maynor lined a single up the middle, off the glove of Bakker, to drive in Gaetti and give NC State a 2-0 lead.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Dutton doubled off the wall in right-center, and the Yellow Jackets elected to intentionally walk Riley to face Colt Morton. The strategy promptly backfired when Morton laced an RBI double down the left-field line. Bakker then intentionally walked Gaetti to get to David Hicks, whose squibber to second base drove in Riley to give the Wolfpack a 4-0 lead.

Maynor led off the sixth with a bunt single and was safe at second on Adam Hargrave's fielder's choice ground ball. Camp reached on the second bunt single of the inning to load the bases, and Bakker walked Dutton to force in Maynor and make it 5-0.

Hicks lined a one-out single up the middle off reliever Nick Wagner, and Orvella blooped a single to second to put runners on first and second with one away. Maynor hit a potential double-play grounder back to the pitcher, but shortstop Tyler Greene's relay throw went into the Tech dugout, allowing Hicks to score and give the Wolfpack a 6-0 lead.

Notes: NC State now has beaten Georgia Tech three consecutive times in ACC Tournament play, and six of the last seven tournament meetings between the two ... The last time NC State won its first two ACC Tournament games was in 1992, the last time the Wolfpack won the championship.