In its first ACC game since a disheartening series sweep to Boston College, the NC State baseball team bounced back with a 5-2 victory over Virginia Tech at Doak Field Friday night.
The Wolfpack (23-20, 9-13 ACC) got a pair of solo home runs in the fourth inning and a timely two-run single from junior Stephen Pitarra in the sixth to propel it to victory. The Hokies (20-24, 8-14 ACC) were stifled by NC State’s pitching, which held them to five hits.
Redshirt senior Johnny Piedmonte (4-0, 2.04 ERA) pitched a gem for the Pack in his first weekend start of the season, picking up the win after throwing 6.2 innings of two-run baseball. Piedmonte also collected five strikeouts. Kit Scheetz (3-2, 3.59 ERA) was the losing pitcher for the Hokies. Scheetz went 5.2 innings, giving up five runs on eight hits.
“This is a big win coming on a Friday night,” Piedmonte said. “Hopefully this will keep us playing well toward the end of the season. We know each game is a big win, a must-win for us.”
Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent praised Piedmonte for his performance on the mound in his return to the weekend rotation.
“He’s just so tough,” Avent said. “He epitomizes everything that this team is all about. He wants to win so badly. He’s nothing about show, he is all about what he is doing out there and wanting to win for his teammates. He sums everything up. Just so glad to have him back.”
Starting pitching took the front stage early on in the game, with Piedmonte and Scheetz dueling. Piedmonte allowed a single run on a sacrifice fly out in the first inning, but settled in tothrow three straight scoreless frames. Scheetz started the game with three quick innings.
The Pack got to Scheetz in the fourth inning, blasting two home runs to jump ahead 2-1. Dunand started out the inning with his ACC-leading 16th homer of the season, slapping a ball that hooked barely fair down the left-field line. Freshman Will Wilson connected for a dinger of his own later in the inning to put State on top.
The Hokies bounced back in the fifth, as Ryan Tufts smashed a Piedmonte pitch over the left-field wall, tying the game at 2-2.
State retook the lead in the sixth inning, scoring three runs with two outs after loading the bases for a 5-2 lead. Junior Stephen Pitarra poked a weakly hit ground-ball single through the left side of the infield, scoring juniors Brock Deatherage and Evan Mendoza, and chasing Scheetz from the game.
“I got jammed really bad, didn’t know where the ball was off the bat,” Pitarra said. “It’s always nice to have a couple things go your way.”
The Wolfpack picked up its third run of the inning on a throwing error from Hokies’ catcher Joe Freiday Jr., who threw the ball into center field trying to nab a stealing Pitarra at second. Deatherage came home from third on the bad throw.
Piedmonte was relieved by senior Joe O’Donnell after allowing a two-out walk in the seventh inning. O’Donnell got a strikeout to end the seventh and followed that with two scoreless innings to close out the game and earn the save.
State now sits four games under .500 in conference play, and with the season winding down each ACC series becomes a must win. Avent stressed the importance of winning this game after coming away from Boston College empty-handed last weekend.
“That’s devastating, when you go there and come up with nothing,” Avent said. “That puts us in a hole and every game takes on more importance. But this was one and we’ve got another one tomorrow. Each one is going to be special.”
The Pack will host the Hokies looking to clinch the series in game two on Saturday night at Doak Field.
