In a game chock-full of lead changes and ties, it was Coastal Carolina coming away victorious over the NC State baseball team Wednesday night, using a go-ahead, two-run home run in the ninth inning to top the Wolfpack 7-6 at Doak Field.
The Wolfpack (29-5) sent nine different pitchers to the mound, yielding varying results, while the Chanticleers (23-11-1) scored in six of nine innings and recorded 11 hits from seven different players to take the midweek contest and avenge the loss to NC State earlier in the season.
“It’s a bad loss,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “Good team, two good teams, two good postseason teams for the last several years of going head-to-head and we got them at their place 7-6, they get us tonight 7-6.”
Sophomore catcher Patrick Bailey turned in a 3-for-4 performance with a home run and an RBI, senior first baseman Evan Edwards added two RBIs with a home run of his own and freshman center fielder Tyler McDonough went 2 for 3 with two walks. Junior shortstop Will Wilson and sophomore outfielder Jonny Butler combined for an 0-for-9 showing at the top of the order.
Out of the nine pitchers the Pack deployed, redshirt freshman Cameron Cotter impressed the most. The righty faced eight batters over 2.1 innings, striking out four, walking one and surrendering just one hit and one earned run.
Redshirt sophomore right-hander Dalton Feeney got the start for the Pack but faced just four batters, recording only two outs before being pulled. Feeney retired the first two Coastal batters with ease but surrendered a solo blast to designated hitter Jake Wright to put the Chanticleers up 1-0 in the first inning.
NC State evened the score in the bottom half of the frame when Coastal starter Nick Parker walked three batters to load the bases and subsequently plunking freshman left fielder Luca Tresh to drive in the tying run. The Pack couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity further, however; sophomore designated hitter Brad Debo grounded out to end the threat.
“Luca Tresh has been playing very, very well for us,” Avent said. “He’s had some great at-bats off the bench. I thought he went out and played left field very, very well… He’s shown he competes at the plate. He wants to hit. He thinks he can hit so he’s going to have to keep getting better in left field but for right now, he’s going to get a shot to play.”
The Chanticleers tacked on a run of their own, but Bailey evened the score up once again, launching a solo shot, his sixth of the season.
Debo got another bases-loaded opportunity, this time with no outs, driving in a run on a short sacrifice fly to right field to score Edwards. The Wolfpack couldn’t muster another run in the inning but still took a 3-2 lead.
A prompt Zach Bierman home run in the next half inning off NC State sophomore lefty Evan Justice quickly evened the score in the fourth at three runs apiece. Another Coastal home run the very next inning, its third solo home run of the game, gave the Chants a 4-3 lead in the fifth.
The Wolfpack proceeded to add a run to tie things up once again, but the Chants responded with another run to go up 5-4.
Just as it had done all game, NC State answered. Chanticleer lefty Dylan Gentry entered and recorded two quick outs, but Bailey singled to keep the inning alive for Edwards, who mashed a go-ahead, two-run blast to put the Wolfpack up 6-5 in the sixth inning. It was Edwards’ 10th home run of the year.
Things went south for the Pack in the ninth. With the Pack up by a run, Coastal’s Kieton Rivers worked a walk off Cotter. Junior left-hander Kent Klyman came in to get the final two outs, but Parker Chavers knocked a two-run, go-ahead long ball to put the Chants up 7-6.
“It’s hard for any team when that happens like that,” Edwards said. “We just have to recoup and get ready for this weekend. Big three-game series against Louisville.”
The Wolfpack went down quietly in its last at-bat, losing for just the third time at home all season. The game featured four ties and seven lead changes.
“Tough loss. It happens,” Bailey said. “Good thing we don’t have a bunch of them but we have to get back to it and we have a big series this weekend.”
The Pack will host Louisville this weekend in a crucial ACC series at Doak Field.
