As it did in the second game of its weekend series with Miami, the Wolfpack trailed the Hurricanes by four runs going into the ninth inning of the series finale Sunday afternoon. Late offensive heroics made for drama in the ninth inning of the games on Friday and Saturday games, but no State player reached base in the final inning of the series and the Pack lost 4-0.
The loss gave the Hurricanes the series, but coach Elliott Avent said he was pleased with his team’s effort against a quality opponent.
“Right now we are showing a lot of heart and a lot of character and we don’t give up,” Avent said. “Like the old Jimmy V saying, we do not give up at all. We just have to get better in some areas and I don’t think we are that far off. This is a good ballclub, Miami, and they have great pitching, really good pitching on the weekend.”
Miami relievers also retired the first two Wolfpack batters in the ninth inning Saturday night, but the third out was infinitely harder to come by for the Canes in game two. Their 5-1 lead with two outs and no one on base was not enough for the win, as State scored four runs on four hits and two walks to force extra innings. The Wolfpack pulled out the victory in the bottom of the eleventh on a sacrifice fly to left field by redshirt junior catcher Chris Schaeffer. Schaeffer’s drive to left scored sophomore catcher Pratt Maynard, who singled before control issues by Miami reliever Daniel Miranda loaded the bases.
Maynard advanced from first to third after sophomore infielder Andrew Ciencin was intentionally walked and an errant pitch hit freshman outfielder Tarran Senay.
“I was really encouraged by that game last night night,” Avent said. “It showed a lot about the team’s heart and it solidified the heart and character of this team.”
Equally important in his team’s comeback in game two was freshman pitcher Felix Roque, who notched his first career victory against his hometown team.
“Everything felt good,” Roque said. “It was an exciting moment. My team and I never quit.”
In the finale on Sunday, senior pitcher Alex Sogard fought through early difficulty in finding the plate to keep the Pack within striking distance. Sogard walked four and gave up one run on four hits before leaving the game after three innings.
“Sogard, he did not have his stuff today, but he sure battled,” Avent said. “He got out of two bases-loaded jams and made a pitch to get out of both of them. I was really encouraged by the way he fought despite not having his good stuff today.”
After taking one of three from Miami, the Pack is now 15-9 and 3-6 in conference play. The team’s next game will be Wednesday against Old Dominion, and it will host a three game series against Virginia starting Friday. Roque said the experience his team gained against Miami will pay dividends as the season progresses.
“It gets you prepared for the games coming, when games are really close,” Roque said. “We have been in those positions and we learn from our mistakes.”
