NC State Baseball
#5 NC State Wins Wild, Extra-Inning Thriller to Match Program’s Best Start
DURHAM, N.C. – In one of the wildest college baseball finishes, the 5th-ranked NC State baseball team overcame an early seven-run deficit to earn an 11-10 victory in extra innings against NC Central, Wednesday afternoon at the Historic Durham Athletic Park.
With the win, NC State matches the best to a season in program history at 12-0, achieved by the 1992 squad.
The Eagles jumped out to a 4-0 lead and later extended it to 8-1, but the Wolfpack continued to fight and showed a ton of poise despite trailing. A three-run eighth inning knotted the game at eight before NC State scored two runs in the top of the ninth to pull ahead, 10-8.
The first three batters reached for NC Central (5-8) in the bottom of the ninth and two of them scored, but the winning run was thrown out at the plate. Right fielder Devonte Brown made a strong throw to catcher Brad Debo, who received the throw on the right side of the plate and dove across the plate to make the tag on a game-saving play.
Patrick Bailey led off the 10th with a solo home run to right field and that proved to be the difference, as the Wolfpack held on for its third extra-inning win in as many chances. The sophomore catcher also hit the go-ahead, game-winning homer at Coastal Carolina.
Quick Hits
– NC State scored seven unanswered runs to rally from the 8-1 deficit and knot the score at 8-8 in the top of the eighth.
– The Wolfpack chipped away at the NC Central lead with a pair of runs in the sixth, seventh and three in the eighth.
– A two-RBI double to left center by David Vazquez sparked the club and RBI from Debo and Brown helped cut the margin to three at 8-5 in the seventh.
– Jonny Butler walked to start the seventh and scored on a double from Will Wilson, as the sophomore hustled around to score from first base.
– A single from Evan Edwards plated Wilson and he scored on a sacrifice fly from Tyler McDonough to level the tally at eight apiece.
– Wilson doubled again in the ninth, this time bringing in a pair of runs as he tied for the game-high with four RBI to give NC State a 10-8 lead.
– After the Eagles knotted the game in the bottom half and nearly won the game, Bailey hit his second round-tripper of the season to start the 10th.
– Kent Klyman pitched around a two-out single in the bottom of the inning to nail down his fourth win, which is tied for the ACC lead.
Inside the Box Score
– Wilson led the Pack at the plate with a 4-for-6 performance, the sixth time in his career he’s tallied a four-hit game and first of the year.
– Edwards, McDonough and Vazquez each had a pair of hits in a 14-hit outing for NC State, which ties as the season-high.
– Debo and Edwards each extended their hitting streaks to seven games, while Bailey, Butler, Edwards and McDonough have all reached base safely in every game this season.
– Seven pitchers took the mound for the Wolfpack and struck out a season-high 15 batters.
On Deck
NC State will return to action this weekend when it opens ACC play at home against Pittsburgh. Friday’s game is set for 3 p.m. at Doak Field at Dail Park.
#21 NC State is coming off of a series victory over UNC this past weekend, and a loss to #7 ECU on the road last night. Where does NC State project to land in the 2024 NCAA Tournament?
The Wolfpack have already seen the Pirates twice this season, but according to D1Baseball and Baseball America, they might not be done playing ECU. Both of them project NC State to be a #2 seed in the Greenville Regional, with D1Baseball projecting the Pirates as the #6 seed and Baseball America projecting them as the #8 seed.
NC State has plenty of baseball left to play, with series against UVA (#14), FSU (#10) and Wake Forest (#8). If the Wolfpack can handle business in 2 of those 3 series, you could make an argument for NC State hosting their own regional.
D1Baseball
Baseball America
#21 NC State lost to #7 ECU 6-10 on the road this evening in a midweek game. As a result, the Pirates have won both games against the Wolfpack in 2024.
When you record 10 hits and score 6 runs, you would hope that’s enough offense to win a baseball game.
Unfortunately the Wolfpack pitching staff was unable to contain the bats of the Pirates, allowing ECU to put 15 hits and 10 runs in the Box Score.
Kudos to Senior 3rd Baseman Alec Makarewicz for making a STATEment in his return to Clark-LeClair Stadium. A-Mak transferred to NC State from ECU this offseason. This evening Makarewicz was 2-4 with 1 RBI, 2 Runs, and 1 Walk.
A-MAK 👏 ON 👏 THE 👏 ATTACK 👏#Pack9 | @Alec_mak99 pic.twitter.com/7Lps43hXow
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 23, 2024
A-Mak’s Home Run was a part of back-to-back-to-back Home Runs in the Top of the 3rd for the Wolfpack, with Sophomore Right Fielder Josh Hogue and Junior Catcher Jacob Cozart also hitting bombs.
Hogue Homer 💪#Pack9 | @JoshHogue5 pic.twitter.com/CMV3rCQu4B
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 23, 2024
‘Zart completes the trifecta 🤌 pic.twitter.com/gipiWvbcFb
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 23, 2024
NC State will look to flush this loss, and get ready for a 3-game series at home this weekend against Ball State.
Earlier this season on April 2nd, #21 NC State (22-15) lost to #7 ECU (31-8) 4-12 in Raleigh. This evening the Wolfpack will look to get revenge against the Pirates in a game in Greenville at 6pm.
Overall, NC State holds a 71-43 advantage over East Carolina in the series, which dates back to 1957.
Last year, the Wolfpack and the Pirates split their 2-game series, ironically, losing at home, and winning in Greenville.
Replicating last years results will be no small task. The Pirates are ranked 7th in the land, and boast a 3-1 record against ranked opponents this season. One of those wins was against NC State, when the Wolfpack was ranked 19th. The other two ranked wins were at UNC when they were ranked 15th.
NC State has done well against ranked opponents, going 7-4 against teams in the Top-25, and 4-2 against teams in the Top-10.
The Pirates’ pitching staff leads the AAC and is in the Top-10 nationally in ERA (3.61), WHIP (1.18), hits allowed per nine innings (6.99) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.04).
ECU’s home field advantage is a real thing, going 20-2 at home thus far this season.
Senior Carter Cunningham leads the Pirates in nearly every offensive category, batting .396 with 9 Home Runs. He’s not alone though. Five of ECU’s regular starters have batting averages over .300.
It will be a homecoming for Senior Wolfpack Third Baseman Alec Makarewicz, who transferred to NC State from ECU this offseason. A-Mak is having the best season of his career, hitting 15 Home Runs while batting .349. It would be fitting for Makarewicz to win at his old stomping grounds.
NC State’s Baseball team is solidly back in the Top-25 after winning a series over rival UNC this past weekend, winning 2 of 3 at home. Last week, the Wolfpack were ranked 22nd in the Baseball America poll, but in none of the others.
NC State will play a midweek game at East Carolina tomorrow night on the road, and the Pirates rank 7th in the D1Baseball and Coaches Poll.
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