NC State Baseball
#1 NC State Rallies to Earn 6-4 Win in 9th, 1st Ever Sweep Against Miami
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Trailing by two and down to its final two outs, top-ranked NC State baseball scored four runs in the top of the ninth to rally for a 6-4 win against the Miami Hurricanes Sunday afternoon at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
The win marked the first time that the Wolfpack has ever swept the Hurricanes. NC State moves to 23-1 on the year, leading the nation in wins, and 8-1 in ACC play, leading the conference in wins.
NC State has now recorded 12 come-from-behind wins, including seven when trailing after the sixth inning. Miami falls to 15-9 and 3-6 in ACC action.
Junior Michael Bienlien earned the win on the mound and is now 3-1, while Miami closer Daniel Federman was charged with the loss.
Quick Hits
– NC State didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard, as the Wolfpack pushed across a run in the top of the first.
– Jonny Butler doubled down the right field line to start the game and scored on an RBI single by Patrick Bailey to give the Pack a 1-0 lead.
– Miami countered with a run in the second inning following three singles and threatened for more, but NC State was able to get out of the jam.
– With the bases loaded, sophomore Canaan Silver came in to relieve starter Andrew Blake and struck out the first batter before inducing a groundout to end the inning.
– The Wolfpack grabbed a 2-1 lead in the sixth following a single from Tyler McDonough and an RBI double off the wall in left center by Brad Debo.
– Miami pulled ahead 4-2 after scoring a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly and two in the eighth.
– David Vazquez sparked the NC State in the ninth, as he reached on an error and Lawson McArthur followed with a pinch-hit double.
– A misplay in center field allowed Vazquez to score from first to cut the Hurricanes advantage to 4-3.
– Freshman Luca Tresh came off the bench for the Wolfpack and had one of the best at-bats of the game, as he fell behind in the count 0-2 before battling back to even the count and ripping a single to left field to put NC State runners on first and third.
– Butler singled to right field to drive in McArthur and knot the score at 4-4.
– An error by the shortstop allowed Will Wilson to reach and J.T. Jarrett to score, giving the Pack a 5-4 lead and McDonough walked with the bases loaded to push the tally to 6-4.
– In the bottom of the ninth, the leadoff batter walked for Miami but Bienlien got the next batter to hit a check swing grounder to Vazquez at third base and he started the 5-4-3 double play.
– Bienlien then struck out the next batter swinging to seal the win for NC State.
Inside the Box Score
– Butler and McDonough led the Wolfpack at the plate, as each turned in a pair of hits. It was McDonough’s team-leading 14th multi-hit game of the season.
– Six other NC State batters had a hit in the contest.
– The Pack compiled a .316 batting average with runners on base in the game, while limiting Miami to a .222 clip.
– NC State used seven pitchers in the game, as junior Andrew Blake made the first start of his Wolfpack career.
On Deck
NC State will return to action with a pair of midweek games, as the Wolfpack hosts Elon Tuesday evening and travels to N.C. A&T Wednesday for a matchup held at First National Bank Field, home of Minor League Baseball’s Greensboro Grasshoppers.
