After a frustrating loss in game one of the series, NC State baseball won both games of a doubleheader against Notre Dame Saturday with a 13-5 win in game two, outscoring the Fighting Irish by a margin of 25-7 on the day for its eighth weekend series win in eight tries this year and ninth straight ACC series win dating back to last season.
The Wolfpack’s (28-7, 13-5) offense, which had already had a more than productive outing, exploded for 13 runs on 13hits against the Fighting Irish (15-21, 6-12) with three home runs, two from sophomore shortstop Will Wilson and one from senior right fielder Brock Deatherage.
“I’m just really proud of the ball club,” head coach Elliott Avent said. “It’s not that you lose last night, but that you lose a game when you’re up 7-2. That’s what’s been the strength of this ball club. A lot of teams can really [get down on themselves after that.] And then you’ve got to play a doubleheader. Doubleheaders are long. We’ve got a lot of guys playing hurt. They’re banged up. To keep that kind of focus, I’m just really, really proud of our guys for what they did.”
Sophomore righty Michael Bienlien earned the start on the mound and the win for NC State, surrendering four runs on nine hits while striking out four and walking three in five innings before giving way to freshman reliever Reid Johnston to start the sixth.
Following a scoreless first inning, Deatherage put the Pack on the board in the bottom of the second, lining a two-run shot over the left-field wall for his second homer of the series.
“We’re a tough team. We play hard every single day. We continue to get better every day,” Deatherage said. “Just showing the toughness of the team, and coming out and getting two wins to take the series, it’s a good feeling. It makes you feel good about yourself.”
NC State extended its lead in the same inning; redshirt sophomore third baseman Dillon Cooper scored from third on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.
The Fighting Irish cut the deficit to two in the top of the third, as second baseman Nick Podkul singled home center fielder Spencer Myers to make it 3-1.
The Wolfpack was quick to respond, however, taking control with a six-run bottom of the third.
When Notre Dame replaced starter Cameron Junker with reliever Andrew Belcik in the top of the third, Wilson greeted the Fighting Irish’s new pitcher by launching an absolute moonshot to left on the first pitch; his career-best ninth homer of the season gave the Wolfpack a 5-1 lead.
“Felt pretty good,” Wilson said. “We started off with a big win in the first game, and then started capitalizing on some big-time hits guys were getting in the second game. We were swinging the bats really well and everybody felt good.”
NC State tacked on four more on a bunt single from freshman second baseman J.T. Jarrett, a two-run double from Cooper and a single from senior center fielder Josh McLain to take a 9-1 lead.
The Fighting Irish tacked on a second run with an RBI double from catcher David LaManna in the top of the fourth, and designated hitter Niko Kavadas made it 9-4 with a two-run homer to center in the top of the fifth.
An RBI single against the shift in the top of the seventh for Notre Dame made it 9-5, but an RBI groundout from freshman designated hitter Terrell Tatum and single from Kinneman in the bottom of the same inning pushed the Pack ahead 11-5.
“[The offense] is good,” Avent said. “It’s been all season. And they’ve played through a lot of cold. As it gets warmer, I’m not saying it’ll get better, but when we get in counts, when we’re disciplined, and not trying to do too much, we can beat you in a lot of different ways. I think our offense has been good.”
Wilson then cranked his second homer of the game, again over the left-field wall, to put NC State up 13-5.
Redshirt senior reliever Joe O’Donnell threw the final 2.1 innings for the Pack, not allowing a run on three hits while striking out four and walking none.
The Pack will be back in action Tuesday night with an unusual non-conference tilt against archrival UNC-Chapel Hill at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham.
“I think it’s fun,” Avent said. “It’s fun for our players; it’s fun for Carolina’s players. It’s fun for the fans, for the Triangle area. I think what the Triangle area’s brought to baseball, baseball’s always been a big sport in the south. … I think the teams in this state have just made baseball really, really big again, and it’s going to be fun to watch. It’s going to be fun for everybody involved.
