NC State Baseball
#17 NC State Downs Clemson In Series Opener, 6-1
RALEIGH – No. 17 NC State baseball opened its series with Clemson on Friday evening at Doak Field at Dail Park with a 6-1 victory.
The Wolfpack jumped out to a 4-0 lead through two innings with two runs apiece in each frame, then Tyler McDonough’s two-run triple in the seventh provided the team with a 6-0 lead. The Tigers avoided the shutout with a solo homer in the ninth.
NC State improves to 38-13 overall and 15-10 in ACC play, while Clemson falls to 29-21 on the year and 12-13 against league opponents.
Quick Hits
-In its first two at-bats of the contest the Pack took a 2-0 lead, as Jonny Butler led off with a single to left field and Will Wilson followed with his team-leading 15th homer of the year.
-NC State doubled its lead to 4-0 in the second inning. Brad Debo got things started with his 13th double of the year off the left field wall, and David Vazquez’s one-out single to right field put runners at the corners. Dillon Cooper laid down a bunt single, which scored Debo for the first run of the frame.
-Butler then hit a grounder to Clemson’s third baseman, he tagged third and tried to turn the double play across the diamond, but the throw was errant which allowed Cooper to score.
-McDonough drove in a pair of runs with a two-out triple in the seventh to extend the Pack’s lead to 6-0, as Butler and Wilson started the frame with back-to-back walks.
-The Tigers avoided the shutout with Chad Fairey’s one-out solo shot to right field.
Inside The Box Score
-McDonough turned in his team-leading 23rd multi-hit outing with a single and a triple in his four at-bats.
-Wilson additionally went 2-for-2 with his homer and 16th double, which ties for the most on the team this year.
-McDonough and Wilson drove in two runs apiece.
-Vazquez tallied a pair of base hits in his three plate appearances of the night.
On The Mound
-Starter Jason Parker went 4.2 innings, scattering four hits while not yielding a run.
-Nick Swiney improved to 6-0 on the mound this year as he went a career-high 4.1 innings, allowing one earned run on one hit while fanning six.
On Deck
NC State will look to take the series Saturday when it faces Clemson in the second game of the weekend. First pitch has been pushed up to 12 p.m. from Doak Field at Dail Park. The game will be broadcast live on the ACC Network Extra and there will be a free radio stream on WKNC 88.1 FM.