NC State Baseball
No. 5 NC State Completes Sweep of William & Mary with 7-3 Win
RALEIGH, N.C. – The fifth-ranked NC State baseball team earned a 7-3 win against the William & Mary Tribe Sunday afternoon at Doak Field at Dail Park to complete the series sweep. The Wolfpack records its third sweep of the season.
NC State pushed across four runs in the fourth and did not trail again to move to 34-12 on the year, while William & Mary falls to 15-32.
Freshman Nick Swiney pitched 2.1 innings with four strikeouts to pick up the win, as he remains undefeated with a 4-0 mark. Tribe starter Chris Farrell was charged with the loss and falls to 2-4.
Avent’s Additions
Opening statement…
“William & Mary is a really good team, they’ve played in 23 one-run games and have lost 16 of them, so if you turn that around then you’re looking at a much different record,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “That’s a good ball club and I’m glad we were able to come away with the win.”
“We’re not playing as well as we were earlier this year, there are some things that we have to do better. We’ve got to get a little bit better and we’re working to do it every day, but it’s good to get the sweep.”
Quick Hits
– William & Mary used a pair of doubles to grab a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
– NC State answered with a big fourth inning to take a 4-1 advantage, following four hits and an error by the Tribe.
– After a single from Evan Edwards to start the frame, Brock Deatherage doubled to center field to score Edwards.
– Terrell Tatum ripped an RBI double to deep right center to plate Deatherage and he scored on a throwing error by the center fielder, as the throw skipped into the W&M dugout.
– Josh McLain extended the NC State lead to 4-1 after chopping a ground ball over the third baseman’s head, allowing Stephen Pitarra to score from second.
– The Wolfpack executed a perfect safety squeeze play in the fifth, as Pitarra dropped a perfect bunt down the first base line and Deatherage raced home to score from third to push the Pack’s lead to 5-1.
– William & Mary got a run back in the sixth and seventh inning following an RBI single by Matt McDermott and a solo homer from Brandon Raquet to narrow the Wolfpack lead to 5-3.
– The Pack countered in the bottom half of the seven with a pair of runs after RBI singles from J.T. Jarrett and McLain to push the margin to 7-3.
Inside the Box Score
– McLain was only player in the game with three hits, as he turned in his 23rd multi-hit game of the season to extend his reached base safely streak to a team-leading 15 games.
– Tatum also turned in a stellar game, as he was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
– Patrick Bailey, Edwards, Deatherage, Brett Kinneman and Jarrett had one hit apiece.
On the Mound
– NC State pitchers struck out 10 batters in the contest and only issued one walk.
– Sophomore Mathieu Gauthier started on the mound for the Pack and threw 4.2 innings, yielding just one earned run while striking out four batters.
– Swiney took over next and tossed 2.1 to earn the win before handing the ball to Joe O’Donnell.
– O’Donnell pitched the eighth with a pair of strikeouts and Johnny Piedmonte relieved him to pitch the ninth after a 41-minute lightning delay.
On Deck
NC State returns to action with a pair of midweek games against James Madison. Tuesday’s game is set for 6 p.m., while first pitch of Wednesday’s contest is slated for 3 p.m.
*Make plans to join NC State Head Coach Elliott Avent at Backyard Bistro Monday, May 7, at Noon for the final episode of Around the Bases.
After going 1-2 last week, NC State’s Baseball Team is still firmly in the Top-25. The Wolfpack lost in a midweek game to UNCW (#23 in Perfect Game), and then they split two games against FSU (#5 Baseball America).
Baseball America (-)
D1Baseball (-3)
Perfect Game (-)
The 20th ranked NC State Baseball team lost to #7 FSU 1-8 on the road this afternoon. After yesterday’s game was cancelled due to weather, the Wolfpack head back to Raleigh splitting the series with the Seminoles.
Sophomore Dominic Fritton gave up 5 earned runs in 4.1 innings pitched, walking 4. Senior Logan Whitaker made his return from injury, and gave up 3 earned runs in 1 inning pitched, walking 3. The Wolfpack bullpen wouldn’t allow another run the rest of the way, but their bats simply couldn’t muster any runs against FSU’s Dorsey and Hults.
The Wolfpack wasn’t without their offensive opportunities. They had 7 hits, which matched FSU’s total. NC State left 10 runners on base, while the Seminoles left 7.
Senior 3rd Baseman Alec Makerewicz and Sophomore 2nd Baseman Matt Heavner both had 2 hits. Part of the Wolfpack’s problem, was the fact that only 1 of their 7 hits was an extra-base hit, and that was a Double by A-Mak. Makerewicz is batting .356 on the year.
Despite the loss, NC State heads into this week having clinched a spot in the 2024 ACC Tournament.
With a 13-10 ACC record, the Wolfpack currently sit 3rd in the Atlantic Division.
NC State will host Norfolk St. in a midweek game on Tuesday night at 7pm, and then will hit the road for a series against #11 Virginia next weekend.
#20 NC State upset #7 Florida St. 8-7 in the series opener down in Tallahassee this evening.
Freshman Cooper Consiglio was the hero on the mound this evening, coming in after Senior Sam Highfill and Sophomore Shane Van Dam, pitching 4.1 innings, while giving up only 1 earned run and striking out 5. It was probably Consiglio’s best performance of his collegiate career, marking the first time he’s ever pitched 4 innings, and given up 1 run or less. He now is 2-4 on the year with a 5.66 ERA.
Sophomore Derrick Smith picked up his 4th Save of the year, failing to give up a hit in 1.2 innings pitched, while striking out 3.
Left them loaded! @DrockSmith22 strikes out Fisher to leave the bases loaded in the eighth!#Pack9 pic.twitter.com/ZxrysbIJVI
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) May 4, 2024
Junior Catcher Jacob Cozart got things started off for the Wolfpack in the Top of the 2nd hitting his 9th Home Run in the past 9 games, and his 15th of the year.
Sophomore 2nd Baseman Matt Heavner led the Pack with 2 RBI’s tonight. The first followed Cozart’s bomb, hitting a Single in the Top of the 2nd that scored Sophomore Left Fielder Luke Nixon. Then Junior Chase Nixon hit a Single, and 2 NC State runners scored due to a wild throw.
In play, runs ➕2️⃣ pic.twitter.com/jb5gAAs727
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) May 3, 2024
Then in the Top of the 3rd, Heavner knocked in another run with a Sac Bunt, that scored Luke Nixon.
Small Ball™️ pic.twitter.com/4U61oxRbE5
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) May 3, 2024
Then Sophomore Center Fielder Eli Serrano III hit an RBI Single that scored Chase Nixon, giving the Wolfpack a 6-2 lead.
In the Top of the 6th, Senior 3rd Baseman Alec Makarewicz hit a solo Home Run, his 18th of the season.
SEE. YOU. LATER. ✌️.#Pack9 | @Alec_mak99 pic.twitter.com/muKGGbkEqJ
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) May 4, 2024
In the same inning, Junior Shortstop Brandon Butterworth scored on a wild pitch, giving the Wolfpack their 8th run of the evening.
Senior starting Pitcher Sam Highfill was only able to pitch 2 innings, giving up 2 earned runs. Sophomore Shane Van Dam continues to struggle in relief, giving up 3 earned runs in 1 inning. His ERA is now up to 5.17. Van Dam left the game with an injury, which might have led to his exit.
The Wolfpack and the Seminoles will play Game 2 tomorrow at 7pm.
#20 NC State will head down to Tallahassee tomorrow for a 3-game series against #7 FSU. Before they do, here’s a look at where NC State is projected to land in the 2024 NCAA Tournament as things currently stand.
Last week, both D1Baseball and Baseball America projected the Wolfpack to play as a #2 seed in the Greenville Regional (ECU), with the former projecting the Pirates to be a #6 seed, and the latter projecting them to be a #8 seed.
This week, D1Baseball has NC State as a #2 seed in the Lexington Regional, with Kentucky as a #5 seed. Baseball America still has the Wolfpack as a #2 seed in the Greenville Region, with the Pirates still sitting as a #8 seed.
D1Baseball
Baseball America
