The NC State baseball team competed in a doubleheader on Easter Sunday against Wake Forest in Winston Salem, losing both games to a strong conference opponent.
The Wolfpack (20-11, 5-9 ACC) traveled west down I-40 to face off against the Demon Deacons (28-4, 12-2 ACC), who are currently ranked No. 2 in the nation.
Game One
The red-and-white lost the first game of the doubleheader 6-4 despite an electric three-run homer from sophomore designated hitter Chase Nixon in the fifth inning.
Play started on Sunday at noon as the rain clouds that engulfed the East Coast for most of the weekend seemed to disappear. Wake Forest got on the board in the first inning, but the Pack’s equalizing run followed close behind.
In the top of the second, junior second baseman Kalae Harrison smacked a single into the left field grass, knocking in junior left fielder Carter Trice, who earlier reached third base on an error. The Deacs came back with two runs of their own in the fourth inning, taking the lead for the second time in the contest.
The tide seemed to shift in the fifth inning when Nixon stepped into the box with two men on base and sent a moon ball over the right field wall, scoring sophomore catcher Jacob Cozart and junior third baseman LuJames Groover. The Pack took the lead for the first time following this go-ahead home run, and the scoreboard read 4-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
Junior right-handed pitcher Sam Highfill was credited with the loss in the first game of the doubleheader, moving his season record to 3-1. After relieving redshirt junior right-hander Logan Whitaker — who started on the mound — in the bottom of the fourth, he loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh and let in a run on a walk, which tied it up 4-4.
That prompted a pitching change in favor of junior right-hander Justin Lawson, who came in with the bases loaded once more and let in two more runs, putting the Deacs up 6-4. That would remain the final score as the Pack couldn’t get anything going in the final two innings.
Game Two
After a brief hiatus, the two teams marched out once more at 4 p.m. with junior right-handed pitcher Matt Willadsen on the mound to start the game for the Pack. Willadsen came into this one with a sub-two ERA so far this season, which places him inside the top five in the ACC in that category.
Willadsen threw 4.2 innings to start the second game of the day, striking out six Demon Deacons. He allowed three runs to cross the plate, only two of which were earned.
The Wolfpack started showing signs of fatigue in the third inning of game two as a single into left field allowed Wake Forest to move its first run across the plate. A strange series of events led to quick second and third runs for the Deacs — a runner scored first on a passed ball, allowing the remaining runners on base to advance as well. Then, a wild pitch from Willadsen allowed another Wake Forest runner to cross home plate.
The red-and-white scored all of its runs in the fifth inning of game two. The first run of the day for the Pack came from a Wake Forest error that allowed sophomore shortstop Payton Green to score, and a pair of singles from Groover and Cozart brought in a couple more runs. However, the fifth inning outburst began and ended the scoring for the red-and-white.
The home team, in contrast, hung up three more runs in the seventh frame to put the game safely out of reach. The final score of the second contest was 6-3, sending the Pack back to Raleigh with two more losses in ACC play.
Pierce Bennett had a phenomenal second game for Wake Forest, finishing with two doubles as well as two RBIs. Meanwhile, graduate center fielder Parker Nolan led the way for the Wolfpack offensively, totaling two hits and scoring one of the team’s trio of runs in the second game.
Pitcher Sean Sullivan of Wake Forest was credited with the win in the second game, and freshman left-hander Dominic Fritton was the losing pitcher for the Pack.
Groover continued to shine for NC State in the second leg and totaled five hits across 18 innings of play. The team recorded 16 hits through two full games but just couldn’t manufacture enough runs to beat the Demon Deacons on their home diamond.
The Pack returns to action on Tuesday, April 11 for a midweek showdown against UNC-Wilmington. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Raleigh.
