No. 23 NC State baseball pieced together six unanswered runs towards its ninth ranked win of the year as it defeated No. 10 Virginia 7-5 in Charlottesville.
From the beginning of the evening, NC State ( 28-18, 14-10 ACC) found itself in a hole as it allowed three runs. However, it would rely on its pitching over the ensuing innings to help climb back into the contest. Riding the efforts of graduate right-handed pitcher Sam Highfill, the Pack found ways to prevent Virginia (36-13, 14-11 ACC) from striking with its high-powered offense. Pitching six frames, Highfill put together a strong performance as he tossed five scoreless innings and tacked on six strikeouts.
Riding strong momentum, the Pack turned to the arm of freshman right-handed pitcher Jacob Dudan in the seventh inning. Like recently, he found success on the mound as he tossed the remaining three innings. Facing adversity in the seventh and eighth, Dudan responded by allowing only one run before ultimately retiring all three batters in the ninth to cap off a win.
NC State wasted little time getting its bats involved as back-to-back-to-back hits opened up the evening. This opened the door for graduate third baseman Alec Makarewicz as he smacked a single to bring home one runner and give the Pack a 1-0 lead at the top of the first.
The Cavaliers seemed to feed off the energy that the Pack garnered as they put their first two batters on base in the bottom of the first. They were not finished as Virginia catcher Jacob Ference launched a three-run home run to put the Cavaliers up 3-1.
The score remained the same heading up until the fifth inning as the Cavaliers were riding high on the efforts of pitcher Evan Blanco who had tallied an impressive eight strikeouts. The Pack used the frame to begin to find an offensive rhythm again.
Like in the first, the Pack immediately put two runners on base. Despite grounding into a double play, junior catcher Jacob Cozart drove in one run. The Pack was not done yet as junior shortstop Brandon Butterworth drilled a solo shot to tie the game at three and spark a UVA pitching change.
The seventh inning saw the Wolfpack offense come to life again as it quickly put runners on the corners. Freshman left fielder Luke Nixon pounced at the opportunity as he singled to bring in one run. The momentum kept flowing as runners were once again on the corners and freshman designated hitter Alex Sosa came to the plate in the following at-bat. He also singled to bring in yet another run as the Pack now enjoyed a 5-3 lead.
Heading ever closer to the homestretch, the Pack strengthened its lead as the game headed to the eighth inning. After getting one on base with one out, graduate first baseman Garrett Pennington unloaded a homer to give NC State a comfortable 7-3 lead. However, the Cavaliers did not back down as they found similar success in the bottom of the inning.
With a man on first with one out, third baseman Eric Becker hit a homer of his own to bring Virginia within striking distance at 7-5. With its lead cut in half, the Pack appeared to be losing momentum as the Cavaliers collected a double to further the threat. However, led by Dudan, it responded and found a way to collect two crucial outs to quell the late-inning danger.
Riding high on an enormous series-opening win, the Pack found a way to bounce back from initial adversity and channel success in big moments. Receiving strong performances on the mound from both of its pitchers and multiple batters, the team once again proved it has what it takes to compete with the very best in the league.
With the opportunity for another series win over a top-25 opponent, NC State looks to further boost its resume in the hopes of potentially hosting a regional in the NCAA Tournament.
NC State will return to action on May 11 at noon. The game will be televised on ACC Network Extra.
