Wolfpack Baseball Sweeps Irish in Double Dip

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RALEIGH, N.C. – No. 6 NC State baseball swept both games of a doubleheader against Notre Dame on Saturday at Doak Field at Dail Park, thanks to superb pitching performances across the board, and game-winning hits from Jake Armstrong and Jake Fincher.

Game 1

In Saturday’s opener, Carlos Rodon (2-2) threw the fifth complete game of his career, lifting the Wolfpack (12-2, 2-0 ACC) to a 5-3 win by holding the Irish (5-8, 0-2) to three earned while striking out seven. Rodon walked one and scattered 10 hits.

Armstrong provided the heroics with a two-RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the eighth, his only hit in a 1-for-3 ballgame with two RBIs and a run scored. Freshman Nathan Hood made his second start of the year and provided a 2-for-4 outing with an RBI, the Pack’s only multi-hit effort.

Trea Turner scored twice in a 1-for-4 performance. Brett Austin doubled for his only hit. Logan Ratledge drove in a pair of RBIs. Garrett Suggs drew the start in right and went 1-for-3.

State fell into a 1-0 hole in the third, but regrouped to tie the game 1-1 in the fifth on Hood’s RBI single to center. The Pack rallied to tie the game 3-3 in the sixth on Ratledge’s two-RBI single to left.

Knotted 3-3 in the eighth, Turner led off with a single up the middle and took second on a wild pitch. Bubby Riley walked behind him, and Ratledge bunted the pair into scoring position. Armstrong drilled a 1-1 pitch up the middle to score both and set the final margin at 5-3.

GAME 2

In the nightcap, State prevailed 1-0 as Logan Jernigan (2-0) tied his career-long of 7 1/3 innings pitched, matching a record he set in his start last week against Michigan. Jernigan struck out eight, one short of tying a career high set twice during his freshman season. D.J. Thomas picked up his first save of 2014 in 1 2/3 innings of relief, holding the Irish scoreless on one hit with two punchouts. Jernigan has held opponents scoreless for his last 21 2/3 innings.

Austin contributed the third triple of his career, and first of the season, in a 2-for-4 day with the lone run scored. Fincher earned the game’s only RBI on a liner smashed to the second baseman’s left side, part of a 2-for-3 outing. Turner and Armstrong added the Pack’s only other hits in the pitcher’s duel, each going 1-for-3.

State broke through in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out rally started by Austin’s triple to the wall in straightaway center. Fincher knocked a single through the right side next to plate the game’s only run.

NC State returns to action on Sunday, March 9 for the series finale with Notre Dame. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Fans can follow along with live stats on GoPack.com, or with Twitter updates from @NCStateBaseball. Radio duties will be handled by 88.1 WKNC. Streaming coverage will be available on ESPN3.