NC State Baseball
NC State Edged in Extra Innings at No. 11 Florida State
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – No. 11 Florida State slipped past No. 3 NC State baseball in extra innings Thursday night at Dick Howser Stadium, as the Seminoles hit a walkoff home run in the bottom of the 11th to earn the 4-3 win.
In the first extra-inning game of the season, NC State threatened in the top of the 11thafter a leadoff triple by Will Wilson but was unable to push across the go-ahead run and Florida State carried that momentum into the bottom of the inning, as Steven Wells hit a walkoff homer.
The Wolfpack moves to 39-13 on the year and 18-10 in ACC play, while the Seminoles improve to 38-16 and 15-12 in conference action.
Quick Hits
– Florida State struck first in the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third after three singles.
– NC State countered with three runs in the sixth, as junior Brett Kinneman launched his 16th home run of the year to put the Wolfpack ahead, 3-2.
– Kinneman launched a hanging curveball over the right field wall on the first pitch of his at-bat to tie for the ACC lead in home runs and take the conference lead with 59 runs batted in (RBI).
– Stephen Pitarra started the inning on a positive note for the Pack, as he battled out of an 0-2 hole to draw a leadoff walk.
– Freshman Patrick Bailey ripped a two-out single up the middle to put runners on first and second prior to Kinneman’s blast.
– Florida State capitalized on a miscue by NC State defensively to plate an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth and knot the score at three.
– Both teams were held scoreless from that point until the walkoff home run.
On the Mound
– Freshman Reid Johnston turned in a strong start on the mound for NC State, as he pitched five innings and allowed just two earned runs.
– The Enfield, N.C., native struck out four batters and all four hits he yielded were singles.
– Kent Klyman relived him and pitched two innings with three strikeouts before turning the ball over to Connor Centala.
– Centala threw a career-best three innings and struck out three batters in one of the best outings of his NC State career.
– Joe O’Donnell entered the game to pitch the 11thand was charged with the loss after the walkoff home run on a 2-2 pitch.
On Deck
NC State and Florida State return to the field Friday evening for game two of the series. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
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
