The NC State softball team survived a comeback attempt from Central Connecticut State to win 7-6 in the final game of the NC State Invitational on Sunday, Feb. 27, at Dail Softball Stadium.
The Blue Devils (0-9) pulled within one run in the top of the fifth, but the Wolfpack (14-2) was able to protect its slim lead and wrap up the NC State Invitational on a positive note after falling 12-4 on Saturday evening.
“We’ve been playing really well, scoring a lot of runs, pitching really well and at the end of the day, you’re not going to win them all,” said head coach Jennifer Patrick-Swift. “But if you’re winning the majority of them, you’re doing okay and we’re doing that. Obviously, when you lose, you’re not happy about it. They were pretty disappointed last night, but at the same time, it was, ‘come up today and start a new win streak.’”
Redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Sam Gress had an up and down start, pitching three scoreless innings between a two-run first and four-run fifth. Gress threw all but the final inning, striking out six and giving up nine hits.
“At this level, if you miss it, it’s gonna be a miss big,” Patrick-Swift said. “We’re trying to change speeds and live on the corners. And you know, this team did a good job of capitalizing on the mistakes but again, when [Gress] hit her pitches, I mean, they were dirty. We’ve just got to be more sound with really attacking the zone and living on those edges.”
Redshirt sophomore righty Aisha Weixlmann pitched the final inning, recording her second save of the season.
“They were barreling up Gress a little bit towards the end,” Patrick-Swift said. “Aisha throws 68, so kind of try and blow it by them a little bit. And I mean, that’s kind of the save theory on that one, just up the speed. It’s cold out so just turn it up.”
Trailing 2-0 after the first inning, sophomore second baseman Kaylee Lambrecht brought the Pack level with a two-out, two-run single in the second.
NC State took its first lead of the game in a zero-hit, four-run third inning and while the Blue Devils made it close, the Pack never surrendered that lead.
Fifth-year third baseman Logan Morris and graduate right fielder Carson Shaner both got on base after being beaned, with Morris scoring on a fielding error and Shaner essentially stealing a run with a great piece of veteran base running.
Graduate catcher Taylor Johnson popped the ball up in foul territory only two-thirds of the way to first, but Shaner saw an opportunity and took it, beating the catcher to home for the Pack’s fourth run of the day.
“There’s no substitute for experience, being heads up,” Patrick-Swift said. “I mean, that’s what we’re kind of saying every day is to expect aggressive and then adjust back. Especially on the bases, if we’re expecting to take the next base, expecting to take kind of the free base that they give us. I think that says everything about Carson, who she is as a player, and how big that run was.”
A wild pitch and infield ground out gave the Pack its final two runs of the frame. Morris kept it rolling in the next frame, hitting a solo shot for the Pack’s one run in the fourth.
The Blue Devils climbed back into the game in the fifth, scoring four to pull within one, but that was all they could muster.
The Pack has two midweek games this week, a home showdown against Villanova on Tuesday, March 1 and a road meeting with Elon on Wednesday, March 2, before starting up ACC play with a home series against Syracuse over the weekend.
“We’re excited,” Patrick-Swift said. “Every game the ACC is gonna be a dogfight. I mean top to bottom, great coaching, great athletes, great teams, but we’re excited to get going and you know, I think we’re a little bit of an underdog. People are taking us for granted but that’s okay. If we go out and we play our kind of ball, it’ll be good.”
