NC State Softball (26-22) emerged victorious in a 1-0 thriller against the North Carolina Central Eagles (17-24) on Tuesday at Dail Softball Stadium
Working the count played a factor for both sides early, as Wolfpack starting pitcher sophomore Kama Woodall threw 29 pitches the first inning to escape a two-out jam with two runners in scoring position. NC State would exercise its plate vision as well, forcing NC Central starter Kiara Hurley to throw 20 pitches in the bottom of the first frame. The Pack’s efforts almost resulted in the game’s first score, but a fly out to right field left the bases loaded to end the first.
The second inning began similarly to the first, as the Eagles put two runners on base early, and Woodall looked to be in trouble again. This worry was immediately put away as a leaping over-the-shoulder catch by sophomore left fielder Sam Russ kept the game deadlocked at zero, and a groundout to third base allowed Woodall to escape again with no earned runs.
A two-out rally for NC Central put runners on first and second as visiting catcher Madison Mifsud stepped into the box to face Woodall. Mifsud launched the first pitch deep towards the left-field fence, but Russ made another crucial catch to end the inning by robbing the Eagles of a three-run homer.
“The defense was 100% the reason that I could pitch today,” Woodall said. “They were the hitting team, they were scrappy, they’re gonna put the ball in play; my defense kept me in that whole game.”
The first and only scoring play finally came in the bottom of the fourth, when sophomore second baseman Chandley Garner sent a high arcing ball well over the wall in right-center field for a solo home run, her first dinger of the season.
“Honestly, it felt awesome. I give a big kudos to [head coach Jennifer Patrick-Swift], you know, telling us to wait back on that ball.” Garner said. “We haven’t seen that slower pitching in a while, so timing was key.”
The top of the seventh proved suspenseful as the Eagles strung together a rally. A one-out double by NC Central’s Caroline Campbell put the tying run in scoring position. The action got even more interesting when an error by senior third baseman Jessica Moore threw junior first baseman Skylar Johnston off of the bag, putting runners at the corners with still only one out.
Woodall would hold strong in the next two at-bats, forcing a groundout and a flyout to finish her complete game shutout.
“It feels pretty great but I could not have done that without my team,” Woodall said.
The Wolfpack will take on the Campbell Fighting Camels (21-26) on Wednesday at Dail Softball Stadium. First pitch will be at 6 p.m.
