Photo Courtesy of NC State Athletics
Senior second baseman Logan Ratledge and senior shortstop Joel McKeithan field a double play in the fifth inning of Saturday’s contest against the Florida State Seminoles. The Wolfpack defeated the Seminoles 11-7 in the game, helped by an offensive showcase from the NC State batting order, which tallied 19 hits and four home runs in the contest.
The NC State baseball team dropped two of three games this weekend to the No. 8 Florida State Seminoles. The Wolfpack was edged in the first two games by a combined two runs before exploding for 19 hits in a shootout win on Saturday.
The Wolfpack (19-11, 7-7 ACC) could’ve, and probably should’ve won the series against the Seminoles (25-8, 11-4 ACC), but a string of bad breaks prevented that from happening.
The Wolfpack just couldn’t get anything to go its way in the first two games of the series, falling to the ‘Noles 3-2 and 1-0 on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
It was unlucky that senior second baseman Logan Ratledge’s long fly ball to left field hit the top of the wall in game two, literally one foot away from being a home run.
With the offense unable to catch any breaks, the Wolfpack wasted two stellar pitching performances by sophomore Cory Wilder and freshman Brian Brown. Wilder turned in a terrific performance on Thursday (seven innings, three hits, one run) and was slated for a win when he left the mound.
Brown supplied a gem on Friday night, allowing only one run over seven and a third innings and at one point, retiring 17 straight Seminoles. His only run allowed came on a blooper single to right field that scored a hustling Stewart from first base.
The offense couldn’t take all the blame for the losses, as sophomore right hander Joe O’Donnell could not lock down the Seminoles on Thursday night, allowing more earned runs (two) than batters retired (one).
The Wolfpack turned in its best offensive performance of the series in its 11-7 victory Saturday, as the floodgates opened and the balls started soaring over the fence and finding holes that seemed nonexistent earlier in the series. Knizner and Ratledge, along with senior center fielder Jake Fincher and junior shortstop Ryne Willard each homered to break the game open.
Fincher, who started in the leadoff spot in the final game after freshman outfielder Brock Deatherage had started there in the first two games of the series, may have earned himself a permanent spot in the top of the order with his performance. The Burlington native notched four hits, while scoring three times and driving in two runs.
If there was anything to take away from this series, it was that the Wolfpack took on one of the best teams of the conference and played them toe to toe. The pitching staff answered the call, limiting a very dangerous Seminole lineup.
Stewart, the 2014 ACC Player of the Year and an All-American, entered the series tied for fourth in the NCAA in home runs. He did not sniff the warning track all series, in fact, the only home run that the pitching staff allowed came in the 8th inning of the final game.
The mettle that the team showed to come back and earn a hard fought win in the final game of the series proves that this team is playing with cohesion and definitely does not lack confidence.
The table has been set for the Wolfpack to control its own destiny as the season winds down. NC State has very winnable series against UNC-Chapel Hill, Wake Forest and Notre Dame in the near future, with Virginia and Louisville mixed in.
The future is bright for the Wolfpack but, then again, the same was said of last year’s team. It is yet to be seen if the youngsters can write a new and better story.