A poor defensive performance and some controversial calls cost the Wolfpack Friday night, as the NC State softball team fell to Boston College, 6-2, in the first game of the Pack’s Breast Cancer Awareness doubleheader.
The Eagles (17-15, 6-3 ACC) entered the game hot, winners of their last seven games and pushed their winning streak to eight games, their longest winning streak since 2008 (8).
Sophomore starting pitcher Devin Wallace (11-9, 2.55 ERA) took the loss for the Wolfpack (20-17, 4-8 ACC), going 3.2 innings and letting up three runs, only one of which was earned. Freshman pitcher Kama Woodall came in and allowed three runs of her own in relief, none of which were earned which was the main issue for the Pack.
The typically strong NC State defense cost the Pack the game, committing three errors in the field, two of which scored three Eagles runners. Freshman third baseman Timberlyn Shurbutt committed all three Wolfpack errors, one with her glove and two throwing.
The Wolfpack got the scoring going in the second inning when junior first baseman Cheyenne Balzer plated Shurbutt with a double before freshman designated hitter Lily Bishop singled up the middle to score Balzer, putting the Pack up 2-0.
The Pack wouldn’t score again, getting shut out 6-0 the remainder of the game.
After scoring a run in the top of the third inning to cut their deficit to one run, the Eagles scored two runs in the top of the fourth when Shurbutt fielded a two-out groundball at third and threw the ball away into right field.
The Eagles would add to their lead in the fifth inning when outfielder Lexi DeEmmanuele plated two runs with an infield single and advanced to second on another throwing error by Shurbutt. DeEmmanuele proceeded to steal third base and then score on a wild pitch by freshman pitcher Kama Woodall, giving BC a 6-2 lead.
A controversy bloomed in the bottom of the fifth inning. With two outs and sophomore catcher Haylee Kobziak on first, sophomore right fielder Angie Rizzi hit a hard ground ball in the four hole between first and second base. Kobziak took off from second and briefly crossed in front of the Boston College second baseman when the ball, which did not appear to touch Kobziak, scooted into right field, but the field umpires called interference on Kobziak therefore creating the third out and the end of the inning.
NC State head coach Shawn Rychcik stormed onto the field to argue the call, protesting that it couldn’t have been runner’s interference because Kobziak never touched the ball and stayed in a straight line. Rychcik was warned by home plate umpire Phillip Freels to go back into the dugout and go back into the dugout he did.
However, the fiery Wolfpack head coach wasn’t done yet.
One batter into the ensuing inning, Rychick stepped out of the dugout to argue that the BC hitter had made contact with the ball outside of the batter’s box. Freels determined that was enough and tossed Rychcik from the game, and started to walk away.
Rychick confronted Freels before being restrained by a field umpire and escorted from the field.
If Rychcik was hoping to fire up his team, it didn’t work: the Wolfpack went down quietly in the last two frames, retiring in order in the sixth and seventh innings.
Seven different players registered hits for the Wolfpack, but to no avail. The Pack stranded seven runners on its way to mustering only two runs.
The Wolfpack returns to action again Friday night at 6:45 p.m. in the second game of its doubleheader against Boston College.
