The NC State softball team won two of three games against Boston College this weekend in Chestnut Hill, MA to earn its first two ACC wins and its first ACC series win.
The Wolfpack (19-15, 2-7 ACC) dropped the series opener 4-3 on Friday night and bounced back with two straight wins, 6-3 on Saturday night and 16-9 Sunday afternoon.
NC State nearly swept the Eagles (11-19, 3-6 ACC), but the Pack couldn’t hold a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning in the first game, surrendering three runs in the inning to lose the game.
A three-run home run by redshirt sophomore infielder Randi Farricker gave the Pack the lead in the top of the fourth inning, but after twirling a no-hitter through the first six innings, junior right-hander Devin Wallace ran out of steam in the seventh and was handed the loss.
In the second game, the Wolfpack took full advantage of numerous Boston College miscues. NC State scored five runs off of infield errors by the Eagles, and that was all the Pack needed. Wallace rebounded from her seventh-inning mishap in the previous game to throw a complete game, allowing just three runs and issuing only two walks to pick up the win.
For the first time in 10 games, the Wolfpack’s bats finally woke up in the rubber match of the series, scoring 16 runs on 11 hits and taking advantage of four Boston College errors.
After a first-inning leadoff single by sophomore left fielder Sam Russ and a walk from sophomore infielder Logan Morris, junior right fielder Brigette Nordberg got the party started, smashing a home run over the left-field fence, putting the Wolfpack up 3-0.
Back-to-back-to-back walks later, senior second baseman Natalie Jones hit a hard ground ball to second base, plating a run on an error by the fielder. Two batters later, freshman shortstop April Visser lined a single up the middle, scoring two runs and giving NC State a 6-0 lead after just one inning.
The Wolfpack continued to pile on throughout the rest of the game, as Nordberg, junior designated player Skylar Johnston and sophomore infielder Chandley Garner each picked up two hits, and Russ and junior center fielder Angie Rizzi both drew two walks in addition to a hit apiece.
Russ was a menace for the Eagles all weekend out of the leadoff spot, reaching base safely nine times (four hits, five walks) and scoring five runs. Overall, the Wolfpack’s offense found its groove, racking up 25 hits and drawing 19 walks in the three-game series.
NC State returns to action on April 2 at 6 p.m. when it takes on Winthrop at Dail Softball Stadium.
