#7 NC State Splits Doubleheader With Wake Forest

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – No. 7 NC State baseball split its doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Wake Forest’s David F. Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Wolfpack won game one, 4-3, but fell, 9-8, in the nightcap.

After the Pack took a 3-0 through the first two innings of game one, Wake knotted the score in the sixth to overcome its deficit. J.T. Jarrett belted his first career homer in the seventh to provide the go-ahead run for the Red & White to even the series.

In the rubber match NC State had a commanding 7-0 lead through the first two innings, but three-run bursts in the third, fifth and seventh by the Demon Deacons allowed Wake to take game two as well as the series.

The Wolfpack moves to 31-10 on the year and 13-8 in ACC play, while the Deacons improve to 24-17 overall and 11-10 against conference opponents.

Quick Hits (Game One)

-The Pack opened the scoring right away thanks to Tyler McDonough’s RBI single through the right side. After two quick outs to center field, Evan Edwards’ walk and a wild pitch put him in scoring position.

-A bases-loaded fielder’s choice and wild pitch with runners at the corners tacked on another pair of runs for the Pack in the third.

-Wake struck in the sixth when Bobby Seymour’s two-run double closed the team’s deficit to one after a pair of singles to left center on one out started the side.

-With runners at the corners after another base hit to left field, Michael Ludowig’s sac fly to left field knotted the game.

-It took just one pitch for the Pack to take its lead back, as Jarrett led off the seventh with his first career home run down the left field line.

-The score held as Nick Swiney was phenomenal in relief. Just one Wake Forest batter reached base in the final three innings of the contest.

Inside The Box Score (Game One)

-Jonny Butler (2-for-5), McDonough (2-for-4) and Jarrett (2-for-3) all turned in multi-hit outings and combined for six of the team’s seven hits in the game.

On The Mound (Game One)

-Starter Reid Johnston threw five strong innings of work before yielding the three runs in the sixth. Prior to the start of the sixth, he gave up just one hit and a pair of walks while fanning six.

-Swiney collected his third win of the year in relief, throwing the final 3.1 innings and surrendering just one hit while striking out six batters.  

Quick Hits (Game Two)

-The Pack picked right back up where it left off in game one with McDonough’s two-run homer over the left field wall in the first inning.

-A five-run surge in the second extended NC State’s lead to seven. With the bases loaded on one out, Wake’s second baseman fielded a Butler ground ball, tagged Jarrett heading to second, but his throw to turn the double play was wild which allowed two runs to cross.

-Patrick Bailey’s RBI single to right center and back-to-back doubles by Edwards and McDonough knocked in the other three runs.

-In the third, Michael Turconi’s one-out solo shot to right center and Seymour’s two-run homer to right field cut Wake’s deficit to four.

-Wake tacked on three more runs in the fifth thanks to Seymour’s third RBI of the game, a groundout to second, with runners in scoring position and Shane Muntz’s two-run homer to center field.

-McDonough drove in his fifth run of the game in the seventh with a double to center field after Edwards led off with a single through the right side.

-The Deacons managed to take its first lead of the game in the bottom of the frame. Chris Lanzilli’s RBI single to center field and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch leveled the score, and another hit batter with the bases loaded gave Wake a one-run advantage.

-After a scoreless eighth, Edwards hit a one-out single to left field in the ninth to provide the game-tying run, but a 3-6 groundout double play ended the game.

Inside The Box Score (Game Two)

-McDonough’s 4-for-5 outing marked the third time this season he has tallied four hits in a single game. He also drove in a career-high five RBI and was a single shy of hitting for the cycle.

-He has reached base safely in the last 10 games and collected at least one hit in the last four.

-McDonough additionally leads the team with 20 multi-hit performances.

-Edwards also went 4-for-5 in the game, marking the third time in his career he’s accomplished the feat, and scored three runs of his own.

-Cameron Cotter (3-3) was charged with the loss after placing what proved to be the game-winning run on base in the seventh.

On Deck

NC State returns home Tuesday for a midweek matchup with Tennessee Tech. First pitch is 6 p.m. at Doak Field at Dail Park, and the contest will be broadcast live on the ACC Network Extra.

Photo CreditSplits Doubleheader With Wake Forest