No. 19 NC State baseball lost big to No. 12 East Carolina, 12-4 on Tuesday night at Doak Field.
From the start, NC State (18-8, 8-4 ACC) found its backs against the wall as East Carolina (21-6) came out of the gate swinging. After preventing any runs in the first, the Pirates pieced together back-to-back singles to get the ball rolling. Pirates third baseman Dixon Williams came to the plate afterward and singled which allowed both runners to score, putting the score at 2-0. It would be the first of five innings in which ECU put up multiple runs.
“They did what good baseball teams do,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “They played very well and we did not. That’s the bottom line. They’re a very good baseball team.”
In the third inning, ECU picked up where it left off and quickly put runners on the corners with only one out. The Pirates laid down a perfectly executed bunt, which brought home the runner on third. The following at-bat, ECU brought home the other runner and enjoyed a 4-0 lead through the first three innings.
Through the first four innings, the Pack mustered little offensive momentum. In the fifth inning, it showed light as it quickly put two runners on. A fielding error allowed both runners to advance and a walked batter thereafter helped load the bases. However, it stranded all runners. A similar opportunity occurred for NC State in the sixth as a double and two walks again loaded the bases. However, the Pack failed to capitalize as it left six runners on base in a span of two innings.
Meanwhile, the Pirates continued to punish Wolfpack pitching. After getting two quick outs, it appeared as if NC State would prevent further ECU momentum. However, Williams continued to have a great day for ECU as he doubled and stole third to give the Pirates another opportunity. They got another base hit immediately after to score him after a fielding error. The Pirates made NC State pay for the error and belted a two-run homer to further their lead to 7-0.
As the game moved into the seventh inning, ECU continued its relentless attack as a hit batter managed to quickly find his way to third. A ground out shortly after helped him cross the plate. The Pirates were not finished as they connected on a homer to put the deficit at 9-0.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Pack was due for something to go right. It quickly threatened as two consecutive batters were hit by a pitch. Soon after they were both moved into scoring position and graduate first baseman Garrett Pennington doubled to bring home the Pack’s first run of the evening. Now with two runners in scoring position, graduate third baseman Alec Makarewicz grounded out to give time for another run to put the score at 9-2.
In the eighth, struggles continued for NC State. A walk and single put two Pirates on the base paths. Things got worse for the Pack as it put together a failed pick off which allowed one runner to make his way home. This error allowed ECU to create even more momentum as they soon put another runner on. Pirates’ second baseman Jacob Starling proceeded to hit a double to score the two remaining base runners to put the score at a defeating 12-2.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Pack pieced together some activity with the bat in the hopes of cutting the deficit. It put runners on first and third as it looked to finish the game on a high note. Junior catcher Jacob Cozart made sure that happened as he powered a single through the gap to score both runs to bring the score to 12-4 which would prove to be the final score.
Throughout the evening, the NC State pitching rotation suffered a tough outing in which it struggled to find answers. Despite making a total of six calls to the pen, perhaps the best performance came from the arm of freshman left-handed pitcher Cooper Consiglio. Entering the game in the eighth after the Pirates extended their lead to ten, he helped end the inning and came out in the ninth and punched three strikeouts to limit any further damage.
“We’re gonna have to pitch better if we’re gonna compete with this schedule,” Avent said.
NC State will be back in action on Friday, April 5, as it hits the road to take on the Louisville Cardinals. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. and will be televised on ACC Network Extra.
