A day after securing a series win over No. 2 Clemson in shutout fashion, the Tigers returned the favor as they shut out NC State 7-0 in Clemson, South Carolina.
For the first six innings of the afternoon, little action happened on the base paths as a pitching duel kept it scoreless. With the effort of freshman left-handed pitcher Cooper Consiglio, NC State (20-13, 10-8 ACC) rode a wave of defensive momentum. However, in the seventh inning, things fell apart as it went to the bullpen. This gave Clemson (29-6, 11-4 ACC) a spark as it broke through in the inning and proved to be the difference in the game.
In a bullpen game for NC State, head coach Elliott Avent gave the nod to Consiglio. With a career-high of four innings pitched in a game against Queens on February 28, the lefty set his sights on facing one of the most potent offenses in the country. From the start, Consiglio was in control on the mound and as a result, the Pack faced little adversity on defense.
On offense, the Pack didn’t muster much either. Facing off against Clemson right-handed pitcher Aidan Knaak didn’t allow a hit for 4.2 innings as the Wolfpack had no answer for him. NC State finally got its first hit in the fifth as junior shortstop Brandon Butterworth ripped a single to shortstop. However, it did not amount to much as the Pack finished the inning scoreless.
As the seventh inning approached, the Tigers began to gather steam on offense after being held scoreless for a total of 19 consecutive innings dating back to Friday’s game. After allowing a base hit and a walk, Consiglio’s day came to a close as he finished with six innings pitched along with three strikeouts. Consiglio was charged with two runs however after his two hits in the seventh reached home.
Now with the score at 2-0, Clemson piled on the scoring when Tigers first baseman Tryston McCladdie drilled a double to score two more runs. Sparking another pitching change, the Pack could not catch a break as a single from centerfielder Cam Cannarella brought home yet another run for the Tigers to improve their lead to five.
The Pack once again turned to the bullpen with sophomore right-handed pitcher Andrew Shaffner. He helped bring an end to the inning where the Tigers used to completely change the direction in which the game was going.
After all three Pack batters were retired in the eighth, Clemson picked up where it left off in the bottom of the inning. With a walk and two singles to load the bases, the Tigers had a prime opportunity to further their advantage.
Second baseman Jarren Purify stepped to the plate and drilled a single to score his second RBI of the afternoon. With the bases still loaded, Clemson brought another run across home plate after a wild pitch allowed Clemson to make it a 7-0 ball game.
Despite earning a huge series win over the Tigers yesterday, the Pack couldn’t get much going offensively or defensively. With Knaak on the mound, few opportunities came around as he finished with eight innings pitched, only allowing two hits and earning 10 strikeouts.
Despite a tough finish to the series, the Pack will look to rekindle its performance from earlier this weekend as it returns home for a crucial homestand. NC State Baseball is back in action on Tuesday, April 16 as it takes on the Campbell Camels. First pitch will be at 6 pm and will be televised on ACC Network Extra.
