The No. 13 NC State baseball team bounced back from losing six of its previous seven games by winning the final three-game series of the regular season against rival UNC-Chapel Hill in Raleigh.
The Wolfpack (34-19, 15-14 ACC) won two of three games, prevailing in a close 6-4 opener, then getting blown out 16-4 before returning the favor to the Tar Heels (34-21, 13-17 ACC), winning 10-1 in the series finale. The loss kept UNC from making the ACC Tournament 10-team field.
In the opening game on May 19, the Wolfpack struggled from the mound early on, going through two pitchers in the first 1 2/3 innings pitched. During that time, UNC scored two runs, yet left NC State feeling lucky by leaving the bases loaded in each of the first two innings.
State used seven pitchers in the first game, six in relief, who all did a solid job to keep the Heels off the board until the Pack bats finally came around. After managing only two hits — both infield singles — through the first five innings, the NC State offense showed signs of life in the sixth, putting up four hits and three runs, to take a 3-2 lead.
The Wolfpack added three more runs on back-to-back-to-back two-out hits in the seventh inning to take a 6-2 lead.
“I thought our relievers were the story of the game,” NC State head coach Elliott Avent said. “I thought our relievers, and I thought our bats, were so good that we actually were able to cash in [in the sixth and seventh innings].”
Sophomore second baseman Stephen Pitarra, junior first baseman Preston Palmeiro, sophomore shortstop Joe Dunand and sophomore outfielder Brock Deatherage each recorded two hits and an RBI to lead the Pack.
The Heels rallied in the ninth but only were able to make it a 6-4 final.
Game Two was one to forget for State, as the pitching staff gave up 16 total runs on 18 hits, including allowing at least one run in six innings, and in each of the last four.
NC State freshman outfielder Brett Kinneman hit a two-out, two-run homer to right center in the fourth and Palmeiro hit a two-run blast of his own to right in the sixth, but it wasn’t nearly enough offense with Wolfpack pitchers having a tough night.
“[Bukauskas] got down in the count 2-0, and in that situation, I was just looking for that one pitch to drive,” Kinneman said in his postgame interview. “I was seeing the ball pretty well all night I got a good swing on it, and the rest is history.”
The tables were turned in the series-deciding game May 21, as State pitchers allowed just one run on six hits while the Pack blew out the Tar Heels with 10 runs on 12 hits.
After Kinneman got State on the board in the second on a wild pitch, Palmeiro hit his second two-run homer in as many games in the third to make it 3-0, which is all the offense the Pack ultimately needed, but didn’t stop it from breaking the game open in the remaining innings.
Pitarra (two hits, two runs, two RBI), Kinneman (two hits, two runs, one RBI), Palmeiro (two hits, one run, two RBIs) and sophomore third baseman Evan Mendoza (two hits, two runs, two RBIs) all led the blowout performance for the Wolfpack.
“It’s good to see our team play well and bounce back after getting drubbed,” Avent said in his postgame interview. “This team has been a character team all year. They dig deep when it’s needed, and they dug deep today.”
The Wolfpack took on No. 11 Florida State May 25 in its first game of the ACC Tournament in Durham, falling 7-3. NC State held a 3-1 lead until the Seminoles (35-19, 17-10 ACC) scored two runs in the sixth inning to tie it and eventually broke the game open in the eighth, scoring four runs. (The full game recap can be found at technicianonline.com)
NC State returns to ACC Tournament action May 26 at 7 p.m. against No. 2 Miami.
