Fresh off an ACC series win, the NC State softball team will take on cross-Triangle rival North Carolina Central.
The Wolfpack (25-22, 6-12 ACC) picked up a much-needed pair of ACC wins this past weekend over Duke and will look to keep its success against Durham opponents rolling.
Likely on the mound for NC State is junior right-hander Devin Wallace, who is coming off a rocky start against Duke on Saturday. Wallace holds a 3.29 ERA on the season and is very much a strikeout pitcher, with 135 punch-outs in 136 innings.
On the mound for the Eagles (17-23) will likely be left-hander Kiara Hurley or right-hander Claire Eosso. Hurley, the team’s ace, has a 3.56 ERA in 143.2 innings of work, but isn’t very overpowering with just 99 strikeouts. Eosso has struggled to the tune of a 5.05 ERA and opponents are hitting at a .327 clip when she is on the mound.
The Wolfpack offense should be able to put up its fair share of runs and will rely on production from its corner outfielders, junior right fielder Brigette Nordberg, who leads the team with a .331 batting average, 15 home runs and 42 RBIs and sophomore left fielder Sam Russ, who holds a .412 on-base percentage, has smacked five home runs and stolen 22 bases.
Freshman shortstop April Visser has slowly crept up in the lineup over the last two weeks of stellar hitting. Visser, who was benched earlier in the season, has found her groove as of late, hitting .500 with four home runs in her last five games and is a key cog in the Pack’s lineup.
The Eagles are led offensively by their hard-hitting duo in first baseman Olivia Daniel and utility player Dalika Wallace. Daniel leads the team with a .391 average and 43 hits, while Wallace paces the Eagles with seven home runs, nine doubles, 36 RBIs and just six strikeouts in 91 plate appearances.
Wallace will have her work cut out for her with Daniel and Wallace, but outside of these two, the Eagles are hitting just .230 with seven home runs as a team.
NC Central is riding a three-game winning streak after sweeping conference rival Savannah State last weekend but was just 5-10 in its previous 15 games prior to the weekend.
The Wolfpack and Eagles will go to battle at 6 p.m. on Tuesday night at Dail Softball Stadium.
