NC State swept its doubleheader, defeating Albany 13-1 and Cleveland State 10-1. It marked day two of the Wolfpack Classic, which also includes Appalachian State and Iona in the three-day event hosted at Dail Softball Stadium.
The red-and-white fought through adversity with the games being moved up three hours due to weather conditions. Despite the schedule movement, the Wolfpack played its best two games all season.
“I thought they did a good job being resilient this morning,” said head coach Lindsay Leftwich. “Warming up at 6:10 a.m. isn’t fun, but they came out with energy and enthusiasm. I think any day you get to play softball is a good day for that.”
Game 1
The Wolfpack (11-3) got after it early against the Albany Great Danes (0-2). After the first two batters made it on base, junior right-fielder Taylor Ensley brought them home with a home run to left field, making it a 3-0 game.
Following consecutive RBI singles later in the first inning, sophomore shortstop MaKayla Marbury sent a ball behind the center field wall, bringing two runners home and extending the lead to 8-0. Sophomore catcher Amanda Hasler added the cherry on top with a solo home run to left field, resulting in a nine-run first inning — NC State’s most prolific frame of the season so far.
After a scoreless second inning, the third inning came with another wave of offensive firepower. With a runner on second base, Marbury notched an RBI-triple to increase the lead. Hasler immediately followed the triple with her second home run of the game, making the score 12-0.
Both teams traded a run in the fourth inning, but the Pack’s energy was too much for Albany to handle, with the contest ending in a run-rule after five innings.
“We knew we had to come out here at 6:10 in the morning,” Hasler said. “All we could do is bring the juice, and that’s exactly what we did. This is one of the most energetic teams I’ve been on. We’ve worked so hard and to see it all play out on the field, we just love it.”
The victory marked freshman right-handed pitcher Kayla Fekel’s first collegiate win. Fekel pitched all five innings, allowing just three hits, one run and four strikeouts.
Game 2
Contrary to its opponents, the Wolfpack continued its offensive masterclass in its second game. Following a scoreless top of the first inning from the Vikings (2-5), the first two NC State batters made it on base. Taylor Ensley put the Pack on the board with an RBI single. Later, sophomore center fielder Ellie Goins went deep to center field, bringing three runners home en route to a four-run first inning.
Much like the first game, the second inning was scoreless for both teams, but the offense quickly returned in the third. Cleveland State notched a run, but the Pack quickly responded. Junior third baseman Hannah Goodwin smashed an RBI triple to center field and was brought home the following at-bat via a sacrifice fly. The third inning ended at 6-1.
NC State kept its foot on the gas in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, Hasler flied out to right field but was able to bring home the runner on third. After a stolen base and another walk, the Wolfpack found itself with the bases loaded again. Cleveland State inadvertently walked a batter, giving the Pack a free run. Then Goins stepped up to the plate and notched a two-RBI single to center field, adding two more runs to the tally and ending the fourth with a score of 10-1.
Any sliver of hope the Vikings held onto was quickly erased by the Wolfpack defense. Freshman left fielder Tori Ensley showed her athletic fielding skills, recording two consecutive diving catches to end the frame. The Pack did not get another chance to bat as the game ended in a run-rule halfway through the fifth inning. This marked the third consecutive run-rule victory for the Wolfpack.
“They’ve done a much better job of scoring early and scoring throughout,” Leftwich said. “They’ve done a much better job of making an adjustment from at-bat to at-bat. Defensively, we put up another game with no errors and I think that is really important.”
The Wolfpack Classic will wrap on Sunday, Feb. 25 as NC State is set to face Appalachian State at 2 p.m.
