06:34 PM CDT on Saturday, June 3, 2006

By BRIAN DAVIS / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN — North Carolina State executed a textbook squeeze play in the top of the 10^th inning and captured a 6-5 win that eliminated UT-Arlington from the NCAA baseball tournament.

UTA reliever Ryan Simon, who had pitched just seven innings all season, couldn’t get to Matt Camp’s bunt down the third base line fast enough. Camp beat the throw to first, and pinch runner Marcus Jones slid home for the go-ahead run Saturday at Disch-Falk Field.

N.C. State reliever Joel Brookens walked a UTA batter in the bottom of the 10^th. But with two outs, shortstop Jonathan Diaz made a spectacular stop and throw to get James Smith out at first for the game’s final out.

The Mavericks, who captured the Southland conference tournament to reach the NCAAs, finished the year 29-36. The Wolfpack (39-22) advanced to meet the loser of today’s Stanford-Texas game on Sunday.

UTA was 90 feet away from victory in the ninth. The Mavs had the bases loaded with one out. But David McLeod grounded into a double play that ended the threat and forced extra innings.

UTA also had a chance to take the lead in the eighth after a balk pushed runners to second and third with one out. But Ben Burum grounded out to second, and Danny Slinkman flew out to left.

The Mavericks fell behind in the second when second baseman Daniel Rieder threw wildly to first on a routine grounder with two outs and the bases loaded. Two runners scored, and N.C. State had a 3-0 lead.

Robby Winn chopped a high fastball over the left field fence for a home run in the bottom half of the second. Then the Mavericks stormed into the lead in the fifth.

Kyle Rudy singled to load the bases for Collin Garner, a .235 hitter from Arlington Lamar. Garner faced the same situation against Texas on Friday. He struck out then. This time, he smashed a three-run double down the left field line.

Rieder followed with a RBI single, and the Mavs had a 5-3 lead.

The Wolfpack collected a run in the seventh and tied it in the eighth on Camp’s RBI single.

E-mail brdavis@dallasnews.com