NC State baseball took a break from conference play for an in-state matchup against ECU. Coming off an electric series against Virginia, where the Wolfpack won two out of the three to clinch an important conference series, the energy carried on into the midweek matchup as big hits and sensational pitching gave the Wolfpack the edge against the Pirates in a 4-1 win Tuesday night in Greenville, North Carolina.
The Wolfpack (22-11) led the entire game against ECU (20-14), and had some of that fire that was missing at the beginning of the season. NC State scored four runs on nine hits with zero errors while holding the Pirates to one run on three hits.
The one concerning thing was that the Pack stranded nine baserunners. The Wolfpack was fortunate to still come out with a win despite this problem, but later down the line, it might not get so lucky.
The star of the show was NC State’s arm barn. Each pitcher allowed a hit or fewer during their respective times on the mound, and only a single run was scored by a sacrifice flyout in the bottom of the third.
Freshman right-hander Anderson Nance picked up the win, making it his fifth of the season with only one loss. Nance threw five strikeouts through five innings and allowed no runs. Nance has had a sensational freshman year as he’s been one of the Pack’s most reliable arms.
Sophomore lefty Cooper Consiglio got the start, but he didn’t deliver as intended. Consiglio only threw for two innings, and in those innings, he walked three batters and allowed a run.
Sophomore sensation right-handed closer Jacob Dudan came on the mound in the ninth to finish off the Pirates for good. He struck out two of the three batters he faced and managed to throw eight strikes on nine balls pitched. Dudan is truly a knockout punch to any team in the ninth inning and continues to have a great year while picking up his second save.
The energy started when junior designated hitter Josh Hogue slugged a moonshot over the right field wall to give the Wolfpack a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Hogue’s solo homer set the tone for the game and got the bench hype. Hogue went 2-5 with a single to go along with his home run.
Senior shortstop Justin DeCriscio was on fire at the plate, going 2-3 with an RBI in the top of the ninth to seal the deal.
The Wolfpack will take on Louisville in its next matchup Friday at Doak Field. First pitch set to be thrown at 6 p.m.
