NC State Baseball
NC State Outlasts UNC Asheville in Slugfest, 15-11
RALEIGH, N.C. – The 23rd-ranked NC State baseball team scored in seven of its eight plate appearances to earn a 15-11 win against UNC Asheville Tuesday afternoon at Doak Field at Dail Park. The teams combined for 36 hits in the contest and 26 runs.
Junior Nolan Clenney earned the win on the mound with 2.2 innings of relief, while UNC Asheville’s Jesse Juday was charged with loss after allowing three runs in a third of an inning pitched.
NC State moves to 14-3 on the year, while the Bulldogs fall to 3-12.
Quick Hits
– UNC Asheville started fast in the game, scoring four runs in the first but NC State countered with three runs in the bottom half to narrow the deficit to one.
– Brad Debo and Brock Deatherage had RBI singles in the frame, while Terrell Tatum drew a walk with the bases loaded.
– A grand slam extended the Bulldogs lead to 8-3, but the Wolfpack chipped away at the score and took its first lead in the game in the fourth inning.
– An RBI single from Evan Edwards started a stretch of seven unanswered runs for NC State.
– Josh McLain had an RBI single in the third and Brett Kinneman, the NCAA’s home run leader, left the yard for the 10th time on the year to score McLain and trim the UNCA lead to 8-7 in the third inning.
– Kinneman’s 10 homers through the first 17 games equal his total from all of 2017.
– Dillon Cooper’s single plated the tying run, as Tatum scored from second and an RBI triple from Kinneman gave NCSU its first lead of the game at 9-8.
– Jack Conley hit his first homer of the season in the fifth to push the Pack’s lead to 10-8, as he smashed the second pitch of his at-bat over the left field wall.
– UNC Asheville scored in the sixth and eighth, but NC State had an answer each time.
– Kinneman and Will Wilson hit RBI doubles in the sixth and Shane Shepard laced an RBI single in the eighth before a sacrifice fly from Deatherage to push the tally to 15-11.
Inside the Box Score
– The Wolfpack’s first four batters in the lineup combined for 16 of the team’s 23 hits.
– McLain and Wilson were each 4-for-6 with the former scoring four runs with an RBI and the latter, two runs with an RBI.
– Kinneman finished the game a single shy of hitting for the cycle, as he homered in the third, tripled in the fourth and doubled in the sixth.
– Wilson extended his reached base safely streak to 32 games, dating back to last season.
– NC State is now 8-1 on the year when hitting more than one homer in the contest.
– The Pack tallied seven hits with two outs in the game and limited the Bulldogs to just one hit with two outs in the inning.
On the Mound
– Freshman Evan Justice made his first career start in the game and struck out a batter.
– Clenney threw 2.2 innings to pick up his second win of the year, fanning five batters in a strong relief appearance.
– Kent Klyman pitched to one batter but delivered in a big situation as he struck out the batter swinging to strand the tying run on second base in the eighth.
– Joe O’Donnell pitched the ninth for the Wolfpack and struck out two batters to seal the win for the Wolfpack.
Up Next
NC State returns to action Wednesday afternoon for a rematch with the UNC Asheville Bulldogs. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. at Doak Field.
NC State Baseball
NC State Came From Behind to Beat UNC 5-4 Securing 1st Home Series Win Over the Tar Heels Since 2016!
NC State came from behind to defeat their rival #11 UNC 5-4, winning their first series at home against the Tar Heels since 2016. The last time NC State won a series against UNC was in Chapel Hill in 2021.
A good team learns to take advantage of their opponents mistakes, and that’s exactly what the Wolfpack did this evening. Of the 5 runs they scored, only 3 of them were earned.
In the Bottom of the 8th inning, with the Wolfpack trailing 4-2, Junior Shortstop Brandon Butterworth was the author of late-game heroics once again, hitting an RBI Single, knocking in Senior 3rd Baseman Alec Makarewicz, but the play wasn’t over. Butterworth advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch, and Junior Catcher Jacob Cozart scored on a Wild Pitch. After a groundout by Junior Outfielder Chase Nixon, Butterworth would score on a Passed Ball during the next at bat, scoring the winning run of the game.
BUTTERS! More late-inning damage for No. 3 🧈 pic.twitter.com/HKU1AVGm0Z
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 20, 2024
CHAOS! Pack leads heading to the ninth!! pic.twitter.com/ifQl0t2oG2
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 20, 2024
Sophomore Dominic Fritton was fairly steady, giving up 4 earned runs in 6 innings pitched, striking out 7 (4 walks). Fortunately, no one was on base for all three of UNC’s Home Runs.
When Fritton left the game, the Pack was trailing 4-1, with their only run coming off of an RBI Double by Senior 1st Baseman Garrett Pennington in the Bottom of the 3rd.
Penny ties it up at The Doak!#Pack9 | @Garrettpenn14 pic.twitter.com/Ww7aTJy705
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 19, 2024
The Wolfpack bullpen was exceptional this evening, putting 0’s on the board for 3 straight innings after Fritton exited the game. Freshman Jaxon Lucas pitched two scoreless innings with 2 K’s, and Freshman Jacob Dudan pitched a scoreless 9th, picking up his 4th Save of the year. Lucas was credited with the Win, and is 2-0 on the year.
While I’m dishing out kudos, I don’t want to forget Sophomore Center Fielder Eli Serrano III’s RBI Double in the Bottom of the 7th, cutting UNC’s lead to 2 Runs.
Two-out damage 👊#Pack9 | @eliserrano__ pic.twitter.com/qmbkMZvkgS
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 20, 2024
This NC State is peaking at the right time, against the right teams.
The Wolfpack will look to finish things off with a sweep tomorrow afternoon, with the first pitch scheduled for 3pm.
NC State just defeated #11 UNC 9-8 via a walk-off Home Run from Junior Shortstop Brandon Butterworth in the Bottom of the 9th inning.
The Wolfpack have 6 walk-off wins in 2024, which leads the nation.
In a game in which there was a combined 8 Home Runs between both teams, it was the last one that mattered most.
UNC kicked things off in the Top of the 1st inning with a Home Run from Casey Cook. The Wolfpack would respond in the Bottom of the 1st with a 2-RBI Single from Junior Catcher Jacob Cozart.
Two-out damage from ‘Zart 💥 pic.twitter.com/cSn7vKoZBh
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 18, 2024
Cook would hit another Home Run in the Top of the 3rd, and Vance Honeycutt would also hit a 2-Run Home Run, giving the Tar Heels a 4-2 lead.
Once again, the Wolfpack responded in the bottom frame. Senior Third Baseman Alec Makarewicz hit his 15th Home Run of the season.
Ideal start to the home half of the third 💣#Pack9 | @Alec_mak99 pic.twitter.com/BrLSstM3D2
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 19, 2024
Junior Outfielder Chase Nixon had an RBI Single, and his Freshman brother Luke (2B) brought in the third run of the inning on a fielders choice, giving the Wolfpack a 5-4 lead.
Tie game! C-Nix delivers 😤 pic.twitter.com/aafYlvOhUh
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 19, 2024
The 4th inning was the only inning of the contest in which no runs were scored.
UNC’s Park Harber tied the game in the Top of the 5th with a solo shot.
Cozart was the Wolfpack’s MVP, giving his team a 3-run cushion in the bottom of the 6th inning with a 3-run Home Run. He had 5 RBI’s this evening.
TO THE MOON 📈🚀 pic.twitter.com/8g8pPUFJAN
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 19, 2024
The cushion wasn’t enough, with the Tar Heels scoring 3 runs over the next two innings. Alberto Osuna hit a solo shot, Alex Madera had an RBI Single, and Harber hit a sac fly.
With the game tied in the bottom of the 9th, with one out, Brandon Butterworth crushed the ball over the left field fence, snapping a 5-game losing streak against UNC.
CALLED. GAME.#Pack9 | @SlippinOnButter pic.twitter.com/6B15Jxkndr
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 19, 2024
Wolfpack Starter Sam Highfill lasted 3.1 innings, giving up 4 runs, while striking out 4. His ERA on the year is 5.16.
It was Sophomore Shane Van Dam that brought stability to the mound, pitching 3.2 innings, giving up 2 earned runs, while striking out 5. On the year, Van Dam’s ERA is 2.90.
Sophomore Derrick Smith came in to close things out, and gave up 1 run on 1 hit in 2 innings, striking out 2. Smith picked up the Win, and is 3-0 on the year.
Game 2 of the series is tomorrow night at 6pm at Doak Field. The Wolfpack will look to secure their first series victory over their rival since 2021, and their first one at home since 2016.
