#5 NC State Routs Pitt to Clinch Series, Remain Unbeaten

RALEIGH, N.C. – Headlined by a season-high 24 hits and 21 runs, the 5th-ranked NC State baseball team rolled past Pitt, 21-3, Saturday afternoon at Doak Field at Dail Park to clinch the series and remain unbeaten.

The Wolfpack moves to 14-0 on the year and 2-0 in ACC play, while the Panthers fall to 6-6 and 0-2 in conference action. NCSU is one of the nation’s four remaining unbeaten teams, joined by Arizona State, Florida State and Tennessee.

Junior Andrew Blake was stellar in relief, throwing 4.1 shutout innings with five strikeouts to earn his first win in an NC State uniform. Pitt’s starter Dan Hammer, who entered the game leading the ACC in strikeouts, was charged with the loss and falls to 2-1 on the year.

Game Notes

– NC State’s 21 runs in the contest are the most in a game since last year’s 21-4 victory against Campbell at home on March 3, 2018.

– The 21 runs are the most in an ACC game since April 18, 2010, when the Wolfpack defeated Maryland, 22-6.

– The Pack’s 21 runs are also the third most by an ACC team this season.

– NC State’s 24 hits are the most in a game since April 24, 2016 (25) against NC A&T and the most in a conference game since March 30, 2007 (24) against Boston College.

– NC State hit back-to-back, pinch-hit home runs in the game, as Luca Tresh and Thayer Thomas each hit solo home runs.

– It was the first time the Wolfpack has hit consecutive homers this season.

– The Wolfpack scored a season-high eight runs in the fourth inning.

– Each position player had at least one at-bat in the contest and all nine starters in the Wolfpack’s lineup tallied a hit.

Avent’s Additions

“I thought we played well, obviously,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “They got three runs in the first and had one of the ACC’s best pitchers taking the mound with a lead and our games came back and got a couple runs off him.

“Then we tied it up and then took control of the game after that. We did a great job on reading balls in the dirt when we were on the bases, we did a great job bunting and did a lot of good things. I thought [Andrew] Blake settled things down when he came in, shut them down and allowed us to have a chance to win.”

Quick Hits

– Pitt jumped on top with three runs in the top of the first, but from there it was all NC State as the Wolfpack scored 21 unanswered runs.

– Patrick Bailey tripled to in the third and scored the tying run on an RBI single from Brad Debo to knot the score at 3-3.

– Terrell Tatum started the fourth by legging out an infield single to second base and a pair of perfectly-place bunt singles followed from J.T. Jarrett and Jonny Butler to load the bases.

– Will Wilson singled to drive in a run and Evan Edwards doubled to left center, as NC State grabbed a 6-3 lead.

– Bailey stepped to the plate next and hit a two-RBI double off the wall in right field to extend the Pack’s advantage before scoring on an error by the Panthers.

– A balk call pushed across the seventh run of the inning and Tatum tallied his second hit of the frame to put NC State ahead, 11-3.

– In the fifth, Tyler McDonough drove in Bailey to make it 12-3, after he doubled earlier in the frame.

– Tresh and Thomas hit consecutive, pinch-hit homers in the seventh as the first round-tripper for both players.

– Doubles from Marek Chlup and Debo highlighted a seven-run eighth inning for the Wolfpack, as it pulled ahead, 21-3, which stood as the final tally.

On Deck

NC State and Pitt will wrap-up the series on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. at Doak Field at Dail Park.

Photo Credit: @NCStateBaseball