NC State baseball tied the series against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with a 5-1 on Friday, May 5 in South Bend, Indiana.
Following yesterday’s high-scoring affair, game two of the series played out quite differently. NC State (30-15, 9-13 ACC) struck first in the game, however, offense was rather limited throughout most of the remainder of the game. Throughout the contest, both teams had great success on the mound, which certainly hindered offensive production. Notre Dame (26-18, 14-12 ACC) was not able to keep up, allowing the Pack to capture the victory.
In the first inning, NC State did not waste any time getting started as junior third baseman LuJames Groover belted a home run to give the Pack a quick 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, junior right handed pitcher Matt Willadsen took the mound for the Pack. Despite allowing zero runs, he had a long start as he found his pitch count already approaching 30 by the end of the first.
The third inning saw the Pack strike again as a double from Groover scored junior shortstop Kalae Harrison, who had previously been walked. Down 2-0, the Irish struck back in the bottom of the inning as a single and a hit batter put Notre Dame in scoring position. First baseman Carter Putz then grounded out to drive home one runner and cut the NC State lead to one.
Over the next four innings, both teams’ offensive performances were stymied as both pitchers found their respective grooves. Right-handed pitcher Blake Hely of Notre Dame put forth a strong performance on the bump, finishing the day with seven strikeouts and five scoreless innings.
On the other side, Willadsen’s efforts were also quite impressive. After allowing the Irish to score in the third, he did not allow any more runs and finished the day by tying his season-high of nine strikeouts on a staggering 117 total pitches.
In the eighth inning, the Pack was anxious to finally make a significant breakthrough despite Hely’s strong performance. After junior right fielder Noah Soles was walked, sophomore catcher Jacob Cozart nailed a two-run homer to extend the Pack’s lead. This prompted an Irish pitching change that turned the momentum in the red-and-white’s favor.
In the back half of the eighth, redshirt senior righty Baker Nelson helped maintain the Pack’s control as he put out the side. This was crucial as he continued to assert himself after relieving Willadsen in the seventh. He pitched the remainder of the contest, allowing no runs or hits and forcing two strikeouts.
As the game reached the ninth inning, NC State was not finished yet. Despite a baserunning mistake, two quick base hits and a walk helped load the bases. The Pack continued putting pressure on the Notre Dame relief core as Groover drew another walk to bring home a run, extending the lead to 5-1.
Throughout the evening, the Pack and Irish engaged in a battle of the pitchers as both found great difficulty in churning out any form of offense. However, Groover helped the Pack break through and gain momentum, while strong performances from Willadsen and Nelson helped NC State secure the hard-earned 5-1 win.
The Pack will look to clinch the series on Saturday, May 6 when it takes on Notre Dame in the final game of the weekend. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. and will be televised on ACC Network Extra.
