The N.C. State baseball team fought hard to come out with a win in extra innings Tuesday night against the Campbell Fighting Camels, using a seven-run 12th inning to take home a 9-2 victory.
The early part of the matchup was marked by tough defense, as both teams went three and out in the first inning. Among the Pack’s defensive plays, freshman third baseman Andrew Knizner threw an underhanded bouncer to first, testing out freshman first baseman Preston Palmeiro, who had his second start in the matchup. Palmeiro also caught an over the wall foul catch in the bottom of the second.
With the bases loaded in the second inning with one out, the Camels (19-10) were prepped to score. A quick field by Palmeiro and a throw home, as well as a fly out caught by junior center fielder Jake Fincher prevented Campbell from scoring and pumped life into the quiet Pack.
N.C. State (16-11) scored its first run in the top of the third off an RBI triple to center field from Fincher. The hit sent Palmeiro home to give the Pack a 1-0 lead. The Fighting Camels achieved a double play directly after, when junior shortstop Trea Turner hit a fielded grounder to third, then Fincher was caught and tagged attempting to take home off the hit.
After back-to-back strikeouts from junior pitcher Patrick Peterson to end the third inning, the Wolfpack batting order continued its fresh hitting in the fourth. Logan Ratledge, who totaled only two home runs last year, led off the inning by drilling the ball over the left field fence, which marked his fourth homer of the season.
The Fighting Camels went on the attack in the bottom of the seventh. With one out and runners on first and third, freshman left fielder Danny Pardo knocked an RBI single to left field to put Campbell on the board. The next batter, sophomore catcher Steven Leonard, tied up the ballgame 2-2 after sending another runner home off a safety squeeze bunt.
“It’s natural to think were snake-bit,” head coach Elliot Avent said. “We’ve been in a little bit of a rough stretch. Campbell tied it up and this place was going crazy.”
Both defenses commanded the play in the next few innings, highlighted by a full extension layout by Turner at the left field foul line in the eighth. The dominant play was matched by the Camels in the next inning when Pardo laid out to take away a would be single to left field from junior designated hitter Rodon. The ballgame was sent to extra innings after a double play fielded by junior second baseman Ratledge.
After an intense pair of extra innings, the Pack finally closed out the game after scoring seven runs in the 12th inning. Two separate breaking balls in the dirt from senior pitcher Hector Cedano sent Turner and Ratledge home to break the Pack’s eight-inning scoring drought. Knizner proceeded to pop an RBI single to centerfield to advance the Pack’s lead to 5-2. After Riley was walked home, the scoring streak continued with a three run triple from Turner, who knocked the ball to the center field wall for the final margin.
“I don’t really think we had any different approach in the 12th,” Fincher said. “We just got some hits, worked it out together and ended up getting a couple runs. We kept our same plan.”
Junior Eric Peterson (1.72 ERA) put on a dominant pitching performance in the last five innings. He allowed four hits, no runs and dished out one strikeout. Campbell rotated seven pitchers throughout the game.
“If any player stood up its Eric Peterson,” Avent said. “Our players react when they see a guy competing like he did tonight.”
The Wolfpack returns to action Wednesday when it hosts East Carolina. First pitch at Doak Field is scheduled for 6 p.m.
