The cold temperatures and rain couldn’t cool down the red-hot Wolfpack bats on Tuesday afternoon, as the NC State baseball team handled the Morehead State Eagles 7-5 on Opening Day at Doak Field.
The Wolfpack came into the game ranked No. 18 by Baseball America after earning two victories in the Baseball at the Beach Tournament in Myrtle Beach, including a 13-10 victory over then No. 24 Coastal Carolina.
NC State scored 20 runs over the last two games of the weekend and continued its torrid hitting into the week, registering 14 hits and smashing four doubles.
The pitching staff, on the other hand, continued to struggle, as junior right-hander Cory Wilder lasted only four innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits. His ERA for the year moved up to 6.00, and he has three walks in five innings, continuing his trend of wildness from last season.
The game started on a sour note as Morehead State grabbed the lead on an RBI groundout in the top of the first inning to give the Eagles a 1-0 advantage. Wilder would retire the Eagles easily over the next two innings, allowing the Wolfpack bats to go to work.
Freshman second baseman Xavier LeGrant got the Wolfpack on the board with an RBI double to right field that brought home sophomore left fielder Shane Shepard from second base. Senior catcher Chance Shepard followed suit with an RBI-double three pitches later to bring home LeGrant. The Wolfpack capped off the inning when sophomore right fielder Brock Deatherage slipped a single past the drawn-in infield to score Chance Shepard.
The Wolfpack extended its lead to 5-1 in the third on a two-RBI single by LeGrant. LeGrant finished 2 for 3, with three RBIs, one run and one walk.
“I’m pretty happy with what I did today,” LeGrant said. “I saw the ball well. Their pitcher is pretty good, and the ball fell in all the right spots.”
The game then became a grudge match as the Eagles battled back to tie the game at five and force Wilder out of the game. The Wolfpack eventually retook the lead for good in the fifth on RBI singles from both of the Shepard twins.
Senior pitcher Will Gilbert stole the show from there, providing a reliable arm for head coach Elliott Avent to lean on. Gilbert pitched four innings of relief, striking out six and stymieing the Eagle hitters as they tried to make up the lead.
“We went to Gilbert a little earlier than normal,” Avent said. “Gilbert comes into the game to settle the game down. He’s a real heady player.”
The defense behind Gilbert was spectacular, with LeGrant leading the way. The freshman turned two, slick double plays at second and charged behind the mound, scooped up a bouncer and fired a rifle to first base to retire the runner.
“He’s got a chance to be a real special player,” Avent said. “He’s a freshman trying to feel his way through a tough league, and college baseball at this level is extremely difficult. You talk about a guy that can make things happen, though.”
Weather permitting, the Wolfpack will welcome the St. John’s Red Storm to Doak Field Wednesday for the final game of the weekday slate. Junior pitcher Ryan Williamson (4-4, 5.17 ERA in 2015) will take the ball for the Wolfpack.
