The No. 8 NC State baseball team continued its offensive dominance Friday as it defeated the Niagara Purple Eagles 7-1 at Doak Field for its fifth-straight win.
Coming into the game, the Wolfpack (8-2) won four-straight and five of the last six games overall, while the Purple Eagles (2-9) have been in a slump, losing two-straight to Western Carolina and six of the last seven games. Despite the team’s terrible record, head coach Elliott Avent still though the team was a talented ball club.
“I actually thought they were a pretty decent ball club,” Avent said. “They don’t get to practice as much as we do outside, but they played really good defense.”
Niagara got things rolling early in the first inning as freshman shortstop Greg Cullen reached first base on a fielder’s choice. Cullen stole second and reached home plate on a two-out RBI single from junior first baseman Christian Vangeison to put the Purple Eagles up 1-0 midway through the first.
In the bottom of the first, Shepard made history for the Wolfpack. Following a two-out single by junior designated hitter Andrew Knizner, the Wilmington native blasted a 1-1 pitch over the centerfield wall, giving him a school-record six-straight games with a home run, putting the Wolfpack ahead 2-1 after one inning of play.
Avent gave really high praise to the senior catcher after the game, comparing him to Team USA baseball player and Washington Nationals infielder Ryan Zimmerman. Sophomore center fielder Josh McClain has also enjoyed watching him practice and play as well.
“It’s really impressive that he can hit six home runs in a row,” McClain said. “It’s just bonding us and we all are hoping that he can succeed.”
Sophomore third baseman Evan Mendoza singled into center field to bring home Palmeiro and advance Knizner from first to third. Sophomore shortstop Joe Dunand struck out and freshman second baseman Xavier LeGrant grounded out to short to end the inning with the Wolfpack ahead 3-1 through three.
Williamson got into an early jam to start the fourth inning. The Cranford, New Jersey native gave up two straight singles to senior designated hitter Taylor Hackett and junior right fielder Hayden Coll and a walk to junior third baseman Geoff Seto to load the bases with nobody out.
Despite loading the base in a hurry, Williamson retired the next three batters to escape the top of the fourth inning without surrendering a run, preserving the Wolfpack’s 3-1 lead over the Purple Eagles. Williamson got a great confidence boost from Shepard before getting out of the inning.
“Chance just kind of came up and he told me ‘Just pound the zone and get strikes,’” Williamson said. “In that type of situation, you just gotta keep battling pitch by pitch and that’s all that matters.”
The Eagles loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, with C. Shepard coming up to the plate. Despite the favorable advantage, Shepard registered his second strikeout of the game and ended the fourth with NC State still ahead 3-1.
After loading the bases again with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, McClain scored NC State’s first runs since the third with a grand slam to left field. Palmeiro grounded out to end the inning to give the Wolfpack a commanding 7-1 lead through five. McClain was looking for one specific pitch from the Purple Eagles during the at-bat.
“They had been throwing off-speed stuff all day,” McClain said. “I was just looking for stuff coming up the middle and I got a pitch to hit.”
After getting two outs in the third, Williamson surrendered a single and a walk to bring his day to an end with a final stat line of six and two-thirds innings pitched with six hits, four walks and eight strikeouts. Freshman relievers Austin Staley and Christian Demby closed out the game, and did so with a combined 2 hits and four strikeouts through three and a third innings to give the Wolfpack the 7-1 victory.
The Wolfpack will be back in action Saturday against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary. Avent said that the team is going to have to be ready to play against an SEC opponent.
“SEC team: they are going to really good,” Avent said. “They’re one of those teams that going to be competing for a national championship at the end of the year, so we’re going to be ready to play.”