NC State baseball lost 8-1 to Miami — the Pack’s second straight loss after starting the season 13-0.
After nearly rallying from a large deficit the day before, the Wolfpack found itself in another large hole, but this time though the Hurricanes shut the door on any potential comeback. NC State never got comfortable at the plate, hitting only 4-32, while the Hurricanes consistently stacked runs and benefitted from three Wolfpack errors.
To start, junior left fielder Noah Soles led off for the Pack and reached second base on error, but Miami pitcher Gage Ziehl responded with three consecutive strikeouts. The Hurricanes then jumped out to an early one-run lead in the first inning with a sacrifice bunt. Miami tacked on a second run in the second frame after junior Matt Willadsen walked a batter with the bases loaded.
In the third, Soles came up big again for the Wolfpack by blasting a double, however, the Wolfpack failed to capitalize on this opportunity. Willadsen’s tough outing continued in the third when he walked a pair of batters before working his way out of the inning, holding the deficit to two through three innings.
The Hurricanes then broke the game open in the fourth with two more runs. A routine hit to center field that should have been a single turned into a pair of runs after graduate center fielder Park Nolan tripped and missed the ball. It was the Pack’s second error of the inning — an issue that plagued the team last season when the Wolfpack led the ACC in errors.
Despite the four-run deficit, Willadsen bounced back in the fifth by sending three straight batters back to the dugout, including a pair of strikeouts. The tide momentarily turned in NC State’s favor when a pair of Wolfpack players got on base. An error allowed junior second baseman Kalae Harrison to score the Pack’s only run of the evening. However, the Hurricane’s subsequent response put out any hopes of a comeback.
During the bottom of the sixth, NC State brought junior left-handed pitcher P.J. Labriola to the mound, ending Willadsen’s shaky performance. The Clemson transfer was pulled before the inning ended after walking a pair of batters. Freshman right-handed pitcher Andrew Shaffner was then tasked with escaping the inning with the bases loaded and the Hurricanes scored one more run before the frame ended.
The final nail in the coffin for NC State came in the seventh inning. After forcing a double play, the Pack came close to getting out the inning unscathed, but the Hurricanes had other plans. A two-run homer from Miami’s Ian Farrow — his third of the weekend — strengthened the Hurricanes’ already impressive performance, making the score 8-1.
The final two innings remained uneventful as neither team did much at the plate. Ziehl continued his masterful performance on the mound for Miami, which included eight strikeouts and only three hits, through the eighth inning before finally making his way to the dugout. His pitching was a key reason the Wolfpack struggled at the plate, as he often put the ball in the upper corner of the strike zone.
With its second consecutive loss, the Wolfpack will have plenty to improve on in the series finale. While cold days at the plate happen to every team in baseball, fielding errors can be avoided. After recording three errors for the second straight game, NC State will need to clean up its fielding to put on a strong showing in conference play.
The Wolfpack will finish the series with Miami tomorrow at 1 p.m. The matchup will be televised on ACC Network.
