In a long and event-filled contest, the Wolfpack fell to the Indiana State Sycamores, 11-7, to split the weekday series. The game featured 18 runs and 26 hits before it was finished with the Sycamores using a huge fourth inning to propel themselves to the victory.
The Wolfpack had taken Game One of the series, 8-2, behind a big inning of its own. The Wolfpack scratched across seven runs in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s game, taking control behind its potent lineup.
Indiana State copied the same formula in Game Two of the series, using a six-run fourth inning to take a commanding 9-2 lead before desperately holding on as the Wolfpack stormed back to try and tie the game.
“That’s a good ball club, and they got some hitters,” head coach Elliott Avent said. “Today, there were some things we just didn’t do.”
The Sycamores received plenty of help in the fourth, both from Wolfpack junior starting pitcher Cory Wilder and junior catcher Andrew Knizner. Wilder had an outing to forget, lasting just 3.1 innings and allowing six runs on six hits and three walks.
His reliever, sophomore right hander Cody Beckman, didn’t fare much better, allowing three runs on three hits without recording an out in the inning. Knizner complicated things further by throwing a ball into left field trying to nail the runner at third, bringing in a run.
Freshman reliever Austin Staley finally settled the inning down but not before the damage was done. The Wolfpack hitters chipped away, peppering runs in the following innings to bring the game close.
“I thought we had some good at-bats, some really productive at-bats,” Avent said. “We gave ourselves a chance. We left the bases loaded twice. We’re not getting the key hits that we’ve been getting in the past.”
The Sycamores batted 8 for 20 with runners in scoring position, adding an insurance run in the seventh to pad the Indiana State lead. The Wolfpack had the same percentage but half the chances, finishing 4 for 10.
“They kept getting men on base, inning after inning,” Avent said. “We tried to get back into it and every batter was 2-0 in the count. We have to be in command of the count.”
Knizner and junior first baseman Preston Palmeiro led the Wolfpack at the plate. Knizner went 2 for 4 with two RBIs while Palmeiro swatted a double to cap off a 2-for-5 performance. Senior designated hitter Chance Shepard didn’t have much opportunity at the plate, going 0 for 1 with four walks on the day.
“It was a rough game, just overall,” sophomore second baseman Stephen Pitarra said. “Every inning we were at it. We just couldn’t get it done.”
The Wolfpack will shake off the loss quickly and turn its focus to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second ACC series of the season. The Wolfpack dropped the series against the Boston College Eagles last weekend, failing to record a run in shutout losses on Friday and Sunday.
The probable starters for the Wolfpack are junior pitcher Joe O’Donnell, sophomore lefty Brian Brown and redshirt junior right hander Johnny Piedmonte (not necessarily in that order).
The series will be the culmination of a 19-game home stand for the Wolfpack, during which it has gone 12-4, pushing its record to 14-5.
