#23 NC State crushed the #10 Cavaliers yesterday 13-5 in a rubber match, giving the Wolfpack their first series victory at UVA since 2016. It was their first series victory over the Cavaliers since 2019.
Senior Logan Whitaker got the start, but it was Freshman Cooper Consiglio who earned MVP honors from the mound. After Whitaker gave up 5 earned runs in 4.2 innings (5 K’s/0 BB’s), Consiglio came in and pitched 4.1 innings of 1-hit baseball, giving up 0 earned runs, while striking out 3.
Consiglio has done his best work against the best competition this season.
In the Top of the 1st, Junior Shortstop Brandon Butterworth gave the Wolfpack a 3-0 lead with a Home Run, which was his 6th of the year. Prior to this year, the most Home Runs Butterworth ever hit in in a single season was 5 last year at Western Carolina.
Virginia would respond in the Bottom of the 2nd with 4 runs to take the lead, but it wouldn’t last too long. The Wolfpack scored four of their own in the Top of the 4th. Senior 1st Baseman Garrett Pennington got things started with an RBI Single, and Senior 3rd Baseman Alec Makarewicz followed that up with an RBI Double.
The Wolfpack were fortunate to score the next two runs, scoring one on a wild pitch, and another when the Cavaliers lost a fly ball in the sunlight that was easily catchable.
With a 2-run lead in the Top of the 6th, Pennington hit his 3rd Home Run of the series, with this one knocking in 2 Runs.
Pennington has now hit 14 Home Runs this season.
In the Top of the 7th, Sophomore Matt Heavner hit a Sac Fly, and in the Top of the 8th, Freshman Left Fielder Luke Nixon put an exclamation point on the game, hitting a 3-Run Home Run.
Pennington was on fire this weekend. Yesterday afternoon, he was 3 for 4 with 4 Runs and 3 RBI’s.
Nixon was 2 for 4 with a Home Run and a Triple.
NC State has Top-10 series wins against Clemson (#2), UVA (#10), and Duke (#9), with another Top-15 series win over UNC (#11). The Wolfpack also split a 2-game series against FSU (#7).
NC State (29-19/15-11) will close out the regular season later this week with a 3-game series against #12 Wake Forest at home.