The NC State softball team won the first game of a Friday evening doubleheader, beating Bucknell 9-4 in the Fairfield Crabtree Invitational at Dail Softball Stadium.
Taking advantage of some errors and a two-home run outing by junior catcher Sam Sack, the Wolfpack (7-4) came back from multiple one-run deficits as it won its fifth game in its last six outings.
The Bison (6-5) drew first blood in the top of the second inning when cleanup hitter Nicole Rivait took a two-strike fastball deep to left field for a solo home run off sophomore right-hander Sydney Nester (7 IP, 4 ER, 8 K). But the Wolfpack struck back just an inning later, flipping the lead when Sack (2 for 3, 2 HR, 3 RBI) sat back on a two-strike off-speed pitch and launched a home run over the right-center fence, crushing the softball and putting NC State up 2-1.
Nester was cruising through four innings, allowing only the lone run on two hits, but things unraveled a bit in the fifth inning. After Nester issued a leadoff walk, shortstop Halie Mariano crushed a 2-2 pitch over the left-field fence, retaking the lead for the Bison.
Bucknell’s lead was short-lived, however. Pinch-hitting at the bottom of the order, senior infielder Skylar Johnston (2 for 2, HR) tied the game up with one swing, sending a fastball deep to center field for a home run.
A series of defensive miscues then paved the way for the Wolfpack to take the lead, and NC State took advantage. First, junior left fielder Sam Russ (1 for 3, 2 runs) reached first base on an error by the pitcher. After Russ stole second base and senior right fielder Tatyana Forbes (3 for 4, 2B, 2 RBI) singled through the middle, junior infielder Logan Morris (0 for 4) stepped to the plate with runners on second and third and no outs. Morris roped a hard ground ball to shortstop and Mariano couldn’t handle it, booting the ball into left field as Russ and Forbes came around to score, giving the Pack a 5-3 lead.
Bucknell cut the lead in half just a half inning later when catcher Taylor Wolfgang cleared the net behind center field for a monster solo home run. Nester settled in and escaped the inning with the lead, striking out the next two batters.
The Wolfpack piled it on in the bottom half of the inning, with junior infielder Carson Shaner (1 for 1, HR) and Sack starting off the inning hitting solo home runs to right and left field, respectively. Forbes brought in two more later in the inning, smoking a two-run double to center field and capping off a four-run sixth inning.
NC State will be back in action later Friday evening when it takes on St. Joseph’s for the second game of its doubleheader.
