In NC State softball’s series opener against No. 11 Virginia Tech, the Hokies showed the Wolfpack why they are a top-15 team in the country. Run-ruling the Pack in five innings, Virginia Tech dominated the red-and-white.
With the loss, the Wolfpack (21-17, 4-9 ACC) has now lost five in a row. A series sweep to No. 10 Florida State, a mid-week loss to UNC-Greensboro and this loss to Virginia Tech (30-5, 9-1 ACC) make up the disappointing results.
With a chance to rebound from a 4-3 loss to UNCG, the Wolfpack came out against the Hokies and immediately fell behind the 8-ball. Junior starting pitcher Rylee Wyman gave up four straight hits to open the game.
Three singles and a double scored one for the Hokies and loaded the bases with no outs to start the first. The Pack looked like it would escape the inning after Virginia Tech center fielder Bre Peck hit into a double play, but the Hokies wrangled NC State back in.
Wyman walked the next batter on four-straight balls before giving up a three-run double to make it 4-0 Hokies by the end of the inning. Wyman followed up a poor start with two scoreless innings, giving the Pack a chance to respond.
Freshman shortstop Kendall Simmers answered the Hokies in the bottom of the first with a solo homer to left field — her seventh of the season. Similarly to Virginia Tech, the Pack failed to score in the second and third innings as the team reached base just once on seven at-bats.
Three straight singles to open the fourth increased the Hokies’ lead to four runs before a line out to right field brought another runner across home plate to make it 6-1. In the bottom of the inning, Simmers started fighting off a full count to earn a walk and advanced to third behind a single from junior designated hitter Hannah Church and a foul out from redshirt senior catcher Payden Bordeau.
After junior first baseman MaKayla Marbury struck out swinging, senior third baseman Hannah Goodwin stepped up to the plate. An error by Hokies second baseman Rachel Castine allowed for Goodwin to reach second and Simmers to cross home for the second time to cut the deficit to 6-2.
In the fifth, pitching struggles persisted for the Pack. After putting two runners in scoring position, Wyman was pulled. Wyman finished the day giving up 12 hits, eight earned runs, two walks and one strikeout.
Junior pitcher Wynne Gore replaced Wyman. After getting a line out, Gore then immediately threw a wild pitch, hit a batter and gave up a three-run home run as the Hokies pulled ahead 10-2.
With Virginia Tech holding an eight-run lead through five innings, the Wolfpack needed to score to extend the game but failed to register a hit in the bottom of the fifth, finalizing the score at 10-2.
NC State will look to rebound in its second game of the series on Saturday at 5 p.m.
