The N.C. State softball team pulled off a close victory at home Wednesday, as the Wolfpack topped the Campbell Camels (22-18 overall, 8-4 Big South), 4-2, at Dail Stadium. With the win, State improved its home record to 17-1.
The Pack (21-10 overall, 10-4 ACC) came into the contest riding a two-game home winning streak and was looked to extend the run to three. State had been on fire offensively, as the team put up 13 runs in its last contest, defeating Elon by eight in only five innings.
The Pack jumped out to an early lead when junior shortstop Renada Davis and senior right fielder Kirsty Grant teamed up to hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning. Davis’ blast over the fence was her 10th of the season, while Grant’s homer was her first. The two shots gave the Pack an early 3-0 lead against its in-state opponent.
“We came into the game like it’s a rivalry, so it’s a little bit more intense,” Grant said. “I think that’s what changed our mindset in the game.”
State’s bats cooled off after the first inning, only managing to scrap across one more run for the rest of the game. The Pack held the Camels at bay, though, by leaning heavily on its junior pitcher Emily Weiman and its defense to hold off Campbell’s efforts on offense. Weiman was able to pitch a complete game, which made the win even sweeter for the talented right-hander.
“I was just making some pitches here and there,” Weiman said. “We just worked the game plan, I was hitting some spots, and defense was making some plays today. They really picked me up.”
Weiman only gave up one earned run and managed to strike out four batters on the night. Though she found herself in jams at times, head coach Shawn Rychcik said he never lost faith in the junior and let her finish what she started.
“She was in pretty good control,” Rychcik said. “If you watch her throw game one, game two and game three, she’s probably best at game three because she gets sharper and sharper.”
The members of the State team were quick to give praise to their defense as the key to the win. Though the Pack did have one error on the night, it turned multiple double plays and made timely stops to shoot down any chance that the Camels had at a rally. Rychcik said the team’s strong defense gave him faith that his team could hold its lead through the remainder of the game.
“They made some pitching changes and some adjustments, and it turned into a pretty defensive game,” Rychcik said. “I feel pretty good about that. Usually if we have a lead, we can defend it pretty well.”
With the win, Weiman extended her win-streak to five and improved her season record to 18-8 overall. After resting for 10 days, Weiman said she was pleased to get the work and have her team have her back.
“It feels good since it’s been a little over a week since I have thrown in a game,” Weiman said. “It feels nice to get out here and get the win again and just get ready for the weekend. I needed this to prepare for the weekend.”
The Pack hopes to keep up its stingy defense, as the team prepares for a road trip to Syracuse on Saturday. The Orange will face State for the first time as a member of the ACC.
