The NC State softball team left the Candrea Classic in Arizona with zero wins after a 15-1 afternoon loss to the Arizona Wildcats on Sunday, Feb. 12.
Once again, pitching and batting troubles were the main cause of the Wolfpack’s (0-5) loss, while the Wildcats (5-0) started off strong in the batting box and never stepped off the gas. A disappointing fourth inning was the final straw as the Wildcats scored seven unanswered runs to race away from the Pack.
The Wolfpack started off strong in the batter’s box with a quick home run from freshman shortstop Makayla Marbury. It was freshman first baseman Madison Iscoe’s turn next as she hit a two-out single but was ultimately unable to score. Out of the 18 total at-bat chances for the Pack on the day, only three NC State players tallied a hit.
NC State sent three different pitchers to the mound in the tough loss. Freshman righty Rylee Wyman started, but her struggles in the circle led to two quick runs by the Wildcats in the first inning and three runs in the second. Freshman righty Wynne Gore was then brought in to relieve Wyman, and she stopped the bleeding in the second inning.
Her success didn’t last long, though — Gore went on to allow three runs in the third inning, giving the Wildcats a staggering 8-1 lead.
The fourth inning brought on the third and final Wolfpack pitcher, redshirt junior Aisha Weixlmann, but despite the change, the Wildcats only got more trigger-happy in the batter’s box. Seven different members of Arizona crossed home plate, bringing the final score to 15-1. Three of these seven runs came off of a home run from Carlie Scupin, who recorded her third home run of the season in this game.
In its last chance to keep the game going, the Pack was unable to follow through at the top of the fifth inning, with none of its final three batters tallying a hit.
The Wolfpack totalled 132 pitches on the mound, 75 of which were strikes, and Wyman and Gore each tallied a strikeout. By the end of the fifth inning, NC State’s ERA was a dismal 16.6 runs, much higher than the team’s season lackluster average of 13.56.
These early-season losses are tough for the Wolfpack as it heads back to Raleigh and into the ACC/Big Ten Challenge coming up from Feb. 17-19. Taking on Iowa and Purdue, NC State softball needs to take its time in the batter’s box in order to get on base. The Challenge kicks off on Friday, Feb. 17th at 3 p.m. at Dail Stadium.
