Even after a rain delay pushed the first pitch back 3.5 hours, NC State baseball got its second win of its three-game series against Belmont on Saturday, Feb. 25.
The Wolfpack (6-0) scored seven runs behind an explosive offense and shut out the Bruins (2-5) in dominating fashion to capture the 7-0 win.
After a quiet first inning for both teams, sophomore shortstop Payton Green got the Pack on the board first, continuing his hot streak against Belmont by opening up scoring with a solo shot past the right field wall in the second inning.
From the get-go, junior right-handed pitcher Matt Willadsen took over the game on the mound, and Belmont didn’t have an answer for his arm. No matter the pitch, whether fastball or changeup, the Bruins couldn’t figure him out and only earned one hit in his six innings on the hill. Although Willadsen’s eight strikeouts were impressive enough on their own, the excellent fielding behind him really displayed the strength of the Pack.
“Oh yeah, so easy; it just makes you want to pound the zone,” Willadsen said. “Any ball that’s put in play, there’s a chance that our defense is going to make a play.”
In the fourth inning, junior left fielder Carter Trice tacked on to the lead with a three-run homer, and in the next frame, Green hit a two-run shot to put the Pack up 6-0 – a prime example of how NC State’s arsenal of different batters that has contributed to the offense thus far this season.
With Green’s grand slam in Friday’s series-opening win against Belmont and three RBIs on Saturday, the sophomore is up to seven RBIs and counting in the series.
“I think everyone throughout the lineup has been important, one through nine, with Payton coming up huge,” Willadsen said.
Head coach Elliott Avent also commented on Green’s improvement from last season to now, stating that his hard work in the offseason has paid dividends thus far, on both offense and defense.
“This summer he has worked really hard to put some weight on and is so confident in himself right now,” Avent said. “He made great plays on defense and hit two big home runs, one [opposite field], which isn’t easy to do in this ballpark.”
NC State will close out the series with a sweep against Belmont, but if the Pack is going to do so, it’ll come down to staying consistent in every aspect of the game.
“The key to us winning right now is timely hitting, good defense, and we’re not walking people,” Avent said. “That’s how we are winning games right now.”
NC State and Belmont will play their final game of the series Sunday, Feb. 26. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
