After a rough start to Friday’s doubleheader against Georgia Tech, NC State baseball bounced back with a 5-2 win in game two at Doak Field.
After a slow start to the game offensively, the Wolfpack (16-4, 6-2) scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth, including a two-run blast from senior designated hitter Shane Shepard. Senior starting pitcher Johnny Piedmonte threw six shutout innings and earned the win over the Yellow Jackets (13-10, 3-5) for NC State.
“The second game, I thought we came out and were outstanding,” head coach Elliott Avent said. “Johnny Piedmonte number one. Their guy was really, really good, the lefty in the second game. He’s really good and he’s tough to hit. I thought Johnny Piedmonte was outstanding. … Our defense was good at keeping them at bay; [freshman second baseman David Vazquez] made a really good play there in the first inning.
“We battled at the plate and had the big inning, and then [sophomore reliever Kent Klyman] went in there and kept them at bay a little bit, but they scrapped back. They’re a good offensive ball club. And then [senior Joe O’Donnell] came in and closed it out. So I was just really proud of our guys again today.”
Making his return for the Wolfpack after missing his last start, Piedmonte got the Pack off to a much better start than the first game, retiring the side in the first inning. That would be a sign of things to come from veteran starter, as he cruised through six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out five.
“I felt good,” Piedmonte said. “[Pitching coach Scott Foxhall] and I worked a lot these last two weeks just to get back how I was feeling before the season. I think it showed in my performance, I felt really good going into it. … It was great to be back out there.”
NC State broke through offensively in the bottom of the fifth. After sophomore third baseman Dillon Cooper ripped a single to left and took second on a passed ball in the top of the fifth, senior center fielder Josh McLain and junior left fielder Brett Kinneman picked up infield singles to load the bases with no outs.
Cooper came home on a fielder’s choice as Kinneman was thrown out at second and sophomore shortstop Will Wilson reached first, putting the Wolfpack up 1-0. The Pack then doubled its lead on a single to right from junior first baseman Evan Edwards to score McLain, and made it 3-0 with another fielder’s choice that brought Wilson home.
“I think we stay with it all the time,” Avent said. “I think that’s one of our strengths is we stay with it. We have different ways to beat you. Right now a couple guys are fighting themselves, I think, a little bit. That’s tough, but baseball’s tough. It’s hard. You’ve got to give credit to our guys, that was a big inning we had there.”
The Pack was not done there, as Shepard launched a towering shot over the right field wall to put NC State up 5-0 with his fourth homer of the season.
“I just saw a fastball early in the count; it was one out,” Shepard said. “It was just a fastball in the middle of the plate and I was trying to elevate it. I got one finally and it just flew out. It was great.”
Klyman took over for Piedmonte to start the seventh inning. After a pair of walks put him in a jam with runners on first and second and no outs, Klyman retired the side, striking out two to keep the Pack up 5-0.
Georgia Tech broke the shutout with a pair of runs in the top of the eight to make it 5-2, prompting the Pack to bring in O’Donnell. He struck out Jackets shortstop Austin Wilhite looking to end the eighth. After issuing a walk and hitting a batter to lead off the ninth, O’Donnell, aided by a diving catch from Deatherage, retired the side to close it out and give the Wolfpack a shot at its third straight series win to open ACC play.
NC State will face the Yellow Jackets in the rubber match of the series Sunday at 1 p.m. at Doak Field.
The NC State dugout walks to meet senior infielder Shane Shepard after he hit a home run against Georgia Tech on Friday in Doak Field at Dail Park. Throughout the season Shepard has scored 4 total home runs. Although losing 13-4 to the Yellow Jackets in the first game, the Wolfpack came back to win the second match-up 5-2.
