#1 NC State Baseball Defeats Miami in 1st ACC Road Game, 6-3

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Thanks to a five-run fifth inning, No. 1 NC State earned a 6-3 win in its first ACC road game of the year against Miami Friday night at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.

The Wolfpack moves to 21-1 on the year and now leads the nation in wins. NC State is also the only team in the ACC with six conference wins (6-1). Miami falls to 15-7 on the year and 3-4 in ACC play.

ACC Pitcher of the Week Jason Parker started on the mound for NC State and pitched four innings before turning it over to the bullpen. Freshman Baker Nelson was stellar in the contest with two scoreless innings of relief to earn his first collegiate win and Miami starter Evan McKendry was hit with his first loss (4-1) of the year.

Quick Hits

– After four scoreless innings, NC State tallied the game’s first runs with a big inning in the fifth, as the Wolfpack plated five runs.

– Patrick Bailey sparked the two-out rally with a double down the left field line and Evan Edwards followed with an RBI double to right center, scoring Bailey.

– Freshman Tyler McDonough tallied the Wolfpack’s third consecutive two-out hit to plate Edwards and give NC State a 2-0 lead.

– Following a single from Brad Debo, David Vazquez stepped to the plate and belted his second home run of the season, a three-run blast to extend the Pack’s advantage to 5-0, as NC State recorded five consecutive hits with two outs.

– It marked the 15th time this season that the Wolfpack has tallied a ‘big inning’ with four or more runs in the frame.

– Miami got a pair of runs back in the bottom half after three walks and a hit-by-pitch to cut the margin to 5-2.

– Bailey led off the seventh with a double to left center and came around to score on a double to deep center field off the bat of McDonough to push the NC State advantage to 6-2.

– Alex Toral pulled the ‘Canes within three runs with a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth, but Dalton Feeney entered the game and retired the next four batters to pick up his fifth save of the year.

Inside the Box Score

– McDonough led the Wolfpack at the plate with a 3-for-5 outing, his team-leading 12th multi-hit game of the season.

– Vazquez extended his hitting streak to eight games, as he was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a homer.

– Debo tallied a pair of hits in the contest to push his hitting streak to six games.

– Bailey and Jonny Butler were each 2-for-5 in the game, while Edwards was 1-for-4.

– Bailey and Edwards have now reached base safely in every game this year.

On Deck

NC State and Miami return to the field for game two of the series Saturday night. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m. at Mark Light Field.

Photo Credit: JC Ridley/Miami Hurricanes