NC State softball defeated UNCW on Tuesday, March 29 at Dail Softball Stadium in the first of six home games in a row. The narrow 3-2 win was secured with expert pitching and clutch defense.
The Wolfpack (22-12) broke away from conference play to host the Seahawks (20-6). The Pack will host one more nonconference game before taking on Louisville at home.
Redshirt sophomore righty Aisha Weixlmann got the nod for the game, and ended up pitching all seven innings. This was her fourth complete and her tenth win, bringing her record to 10-5. She recorded seven strikeouts, adding to her team-leading total of 94 on the season.
The Seahawks struck early in the top of the second, scoring a run off an error by the Pack. The Seahawks gathered their second run in the third inning with a triple down the right field line with a runner on. Weixlmann struck out the next batter with the runner on third to end the inning.
The Pack went without a run until the bottom of the sixth, when fifth-year catcher Sam Sack smacked a two-out homer, tying the game at 2-2. In the top of the seventh, the Seahawks made one last push, putting two runners on. Weixlmann recorded her seventh strikeout for out number three, ending the inning and giving the Wolfpack a chance to win it all.
With one out, freshman left fielder Alaina Smith hit a walk-off homerun to seal the deal and capture the win for the Wolfpack. She went two for three on the day with her third homer of the season, a straight shot to center.
The Wolfpack will host UNC-Charlotte on Wednesday, March 30 at 5 p.m. The next game will be a part of a three-game series against Louisville starting on Friday, April 1.
