The NC State baseball team beat No. 12 Georgia Tech 8-6 in the series opener on March 25 at Doak Field.
Senior outfielder Devonte Brown and sophomore infielder LuJames Groover III were the difference makers for the Wolfpack (13-8, 2-4 ACC) in another high-scoring matchup at the Doak. Brown went 3-5 with three RBIs while Groover went 3-3 with two walks and an RBI of his own.
“[Brown] had a big, big night,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “The home run is as good of a ball as he’s ever hit, he got that one straight and true and then the two-out base hit he got in that inning where we hit the five runs, that was a big-time hit.”
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Sam Highfill started the game for the Pack but he continued his struggles to start the season as he gave up six earned runs in four innings with four strikeouts.
Redshirt junior righty Logan Adams got the win, striking out four in three innings, while sophomore southpaw Chris Villaman struck out three in the final two innings for the save.
The Yellow Jackets (16-7,4-3 ACC) scored first but despite loading the bases in the second on two singles and a hit by pitch, the Yellow Jackets only came out of the inning with one run on a bases-loaded walk.
NC State responded quickly as Brown hit a bomb to left field to tie the game at one in the bottom of the third, but Georgia Tech’s offense would not be held down for long as it took a 6-1 lead in the top of the fourth.
A walk and a single put two on early for the Yellow Jackets, but a double play directly following looked to end whatever rally had sparked to start the inning. Instead, Georgia Tech scored two on a wild pitch and RBI single, and it added three more runs on a three-RBI homer a few batters later.
Continuing the eventful inning, the Pack tied it up again in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a rally started by a double from senior infielder J.T. Jarrett. Back-to-back singles added two more runs for the Pack but it was a fielder’s choice, error and an RBI double from freshman infielder Tommy White later in the inning which brought the score to 6-6.
“The guy that responded I thought was J.T. Jarrett,” Avent said. “He led that inning off and smashed a ball to left field and I thought he said everything that needed to be said. We’re not dead yet.”
Brown struck again in the fifth, doubling for his third RBI of the day to bring in the go-ahead run, and Groover III gave the Pack a two-run lead on an RBI single right after.
“I think we were just saying we weren’t gonna give up,” said Brown. “I think in the past before it probably looked like we kind of got upset about ourselves but I think we just kept our heads held up high and we just know we needed to put some runs together and have some good ABs and we just kept each other in our minds and kept going and pushing each other.”
The Pack was able to hold off the Georgia Tech offense the rest of the evening, despite almost allowing another run to score on a dropped ball in right field in the top of the ninth.
Game two of the series will take place on March 26 with first pitch set for 7 p.m.
