NC State Baseball
#15 NC State Comes Up Short To Campbell In Opening Game Of NCAA Greenville Regional
GREENVILLE, N.C. – No. 15 and second-seeded NC State baseball came up short to third-seeded Campbell, 5-4, on Saturday in the opening game of the NCAA Regional, hosted by No. 9 East Carolina at Clark-LeClair Stadium in Greenville, N.C.
The game started at 12 p.m. on Friday and the teams got through eight-and-a-half innings, but after two lengthy delays in the afternoon due to rain and lightning, the rest of the game was postponed to 12 p.m. Saturday
The Wolfpack falls to 42-18 while the Camels improve to 36-19 on the year.
How It Happened
-The Camels jumped out to a 4-0 lead on three hits and an error in the first. The Wolfpack error put leadoff hitter Matthew Barefoot on first, and after a groundout moved him second, he scored on Luis Gimenez’s single up the middle.
-Collin Wolf’s sac fly to center field tacked on a second run after a double up the left field line put runners in scoring position.
-Koby Collins then launched a homer over the left field wall to double Campbell’s lead.
-NC State cut its deficit to one in the third on two hits and a pair of errors. J.T. Jarrett led off the side with a base hit up the middle and advanced to second on an errant throw by starting pitcher Michael Horrell in attempt to get the force out.
-Another wild throw, this time by second baseman Tyler Anshaw, allowed Jarrett to cross home plate and put runners at second and third.
-Patrick Bailey’s sac fly to deep center field plated Dillon Cooper, then Evan Edwards legged out a single to Anshaw and drove in Jonny Butler.
-In the fourth, Barefoot reached on a one-out single, and then a stolen base and error allowed him to threaten at third. He scored on Anshaw’s sac fly to right field to give the Camels a 5-3 advantage.
-From the bottom of the fourth through the top of the eighth, just a combined four batters for both teams reached base.
-Butler made it a one-run game in the bottom of the eighth with a leadoff homer over the right field wall, his third of the season.
-Right after the homer, the game was halted at 2:21 p.m. due to lightning. Play resumed at 3:40 p.m., but 28 minutes later after the completion of the top of the ninth, the contest was paused again due to heavy rain.
-Almost six hours later, the decision was ultimately made to play the final half inning at noon Saturday.
-The teams resumed play in the bottom of the ninth with no outs and the Camels holding a 5-4 advantage. Terrell Tatum managed to reach on a one-out walk and steal second, but the Pack came up short with a swinging strikeout and groundout to third to end the game.
Inside The Box Score
-Butler and Edwards each tallied a hit and drove a run in, while Brad Debo, Jarrett and Tyler McDonough also tallied a base hit apiece.
On The Mound
-Despite all five of Campbell’s runs going down as unearned, starter Reid Johnston (6-2) was charged with the loss after tossing the first four innings.
-Nick Swiney was stellar in relief, tallying seven strikeouts in 4.0 hitless innings of work.
-Relievers Cameron Cotter and Evan Justice combined for a hitless inning in the ninth.
On Deck
NC State will continue action in the NCAA Greenville Regional Sunday when it faces the loser of the No. 9 East Carolina (1 seed) versus Quinnipiac (4 seed) game at 12 p.m.
Sunday’s schedule is as follows:
Game 3 – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 @ 12 PM
Game 4 – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 @ 4 PM
Game 5 – Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 @ 8 PM
All games will be broadcast on ESPN3 and there will be a free audio stream on WKNC 88.1 FM for all of NC State’s games.