NC State softball lost to UNC-Chapel Hill 5-4 on Saturday afternoon in the rubber match, going down on the road to a walk-off home run.
After the Tar Heels (35-14, 12-9 ACC) won the first game and the Wolfpack (23-25, 5-16 ACC) took the second game, this game was for the series. There was a lot at stake for NC State as it had not won a series against the Heels since 2014.
The scoring started when the Heels hit a two-RBI single in the second inning to go up 2-0. The Wolfpack responded quickly with a grand slam off the bat of junior designated hitter Hannah Church to put the Pack up 4-2. This could have provided a spark for the Pack and a big momentum boost, but it failed to capitalize as it did not score in the remainder of the game.
The Tar Heels slowly but surely tied the game up, scoring on a walk with bases loaded in the third inning and with a fielder’s choice play in the fourth, tying the game by the start of the fifth. NC State failed to get anything going at the plate for the rest of the game and remained tied midway through the seventh — there for the Heels’ taking. UNC capitalized, hitting a walkoff home run in the seventh inning to win the game 5-4, taking the series as well.
This series marks the fourth straight ACC series loss for the red-and-white. It might raise some red flags for fans, but this is a very young team and that half of the series were played on the road, and more than half against top 25 opponents. There is still an opportunity for the Pack to make the ACC Tournament but it will be an incredibly tough last series at home against Duke, which is currently ranked No. 9 in the nation.
As the Wolfpack moves forward into these last couple weeks of the regular season, one thing that it must do in order to be successful is to try to be more consistent on offense. In this game, the Pack totaled six hits. The only runs it scored were from the grand slam. The pitching and fielding was solid for NC State, but hitting remained inconsistent.
The Wolfpack will play its next game on Tuesday, April 22 when it travels to Greenville to take on the East Carolina Pirates. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.
