The N.C. State softball team took two games at Syracuse this past weekend, with the third being cancelled, to move into second place in the ACC standings.
The Wolfpack defeated the Orange, 8-6 and 7-0, Sunday. The game on Saturday couldn’t be played due to weather conditions. The doubleheader sweep improved State to 23-10 overall and 12-4 in conference play.
In the opening game, N.C. State had to rally late to get the victory. The Pack entered the seventh inning trailing Syracuse, 5-4. State surged ahead when sophomore designated hitter Hanna Sommer belted a two-run homer after freshman catcher Molly Hutchinson was walked.
State extended its lead later in the frame when senior first baseman Leah Jones hammered her fifth home run of the season. Jones finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs.
“I was just trying to hit the ball hard to help the team,” Jones said. “I got some pitches that I could handle, and I hit them well.”
Senior second baseman Chelsea Tate later drove in senior center fielder Scout Albertson with an RBI single to give the Pack a three-run lead heading into Syracuse’s final at-bat. State’s late runs proved to be important, as the Orange struck back with a run in the bottom of the frame but could not complete the comeback.
“I’m really proud of our team and the way they battled back,” head coach Shawn Rychcik said. “We got down but fought back to tie it up and take the lead. We were able to put four runs on the board in the top of the seventh after several good at-bats. I was real happy that we took care of business in the bottom of the inning to get the win.”
In the second game of the Sunday doubleheader, the Pack took control early. An RBI single from Hutchinson drove home junior shortstop Renada Davis in the top of the first inning, giving State a lead it would not relinquish.
N.C. State tallied three more runs in its next at-bat to lead, 4-0. That was more than enough for junior pitcher Emily Weiman. The reigning ACC Pitcher of the Year went the distance, hurling her 10th complete game shutout of the season. Weiman struck out eight, while allowing five hits and walking none in a typical dominating performance.
The second game ended after six innings due to N.C. State’s travel commitments. The Wolfpack, winner of seven of its last eight games, was in complete control during the final contest of the series, and Rychick said he was happy with what he saw.
“It was good to get a lead early,” Rychick said. “Emily [Weiman] got things going in the circle, and we were able to get her some run support. We kept adding runs from there, and Emily was dominant. When we play the way we did today, we’re tough to beat.”
N.C. State will return to action Wednesday with a doubleheader at home against in-state rival East Carolina. The Pack has won 10 of its 15 meetings against the Pirates in the program’s history.
