The NC State baseball team suffered a disappointing 5-3 loss against the Campbell Camels on Tuesday night at Doak Field.
Although the Wolfpack (37-13, ACC 14-10) was the first and last team to score, a five-run fourth inning propelled the Camels (28-16) to the win. Coupled with a strong six innings of pitching by Campbell’s starting left-handed pitcher Kevin Westlake, the Camels proved too much for the Pack to overcome.
“I thought [Westlake] was outstanding,” head coach Elliott Avent said. “He located his fastball against lefties, had a really good breaking ball, and he did a really good job keeping the ball down. I thought he kept the ball down tremendously. Threw inside, worked both sides of the plate and I thought that he was outstanding.”
NC State’s bullpen was the one thing keeping them in the game. Combining for over four innings, the trio allowed no runs on only two hits and combined for six strikeouts.
“I was proud of the bullpen,” Avent said. “[Cameron] Cotter pitched outstanding, so did Evan Justice and so did Baker Nelson. The bullpen was great which it had been all year. The last four weeks it had been not as good, but all year the strength of our team has been the bullpen. Everybody comes in pounding the zone and that’s what we do. But I was proud of the whole team effort tonight.”
The Pack opened up the scoring in the second inning. NC State had gotten into scoring position thanks to a line-drive single to left field by freshman center fielder Tyler McDonough and a double right down the first-base line by junior designated hitter Brad Debo put runners on second and third.
McDonough was brought home on a sacrifice fly to deep right field by freshman left fielder Luca Tresh and Debo scored off a fielder’s choice on a grounder to third base by sophomore second baseman J.T. Jarrett.
Campbell jumped onto the board in the fourth inning after a series of singles. With runners on first and second, Zach Minnick hit an RBI single that got by Pack junior shortstop Will Wilson allowing a run to plate.
Campbell took the lead as the next batter, Grant Harris, hit a three-run homer over the right-field wall to give the Camels the 4-2 lead. After the Wolfpack surrendered another hit, a double deep down the right-field line, freshman right-handed pitcher Baker Nelson came in relief for starting right-handed pitcher Alec Barger. The Camels scored one more run in the fourth on a one-out sac fly to center field.
NC State finally broke through Westlake in the seventh inning. After 99 pitches and only surrendering three hits and two runs in six innings, a walk and a single by the Pack pushed him off the mound. However, right-handed pitcher Tyler Jonathan put away the inning in relief.
NC State got another shot at crawling back into the game in the eighth inning. Campbell cycled through two pitchers and loaded the bases after facing Wilson, senior first baseman Evan Edwards and McDonough. Another walk to Tresh brought Wilson across the plate and cut the deficit to two. However, a strikeout to sophomore pinch-hitter Terrell Tatum with the bases loaded ended the Wolfpack threat.
Moving into the ninth inning, NC State went with freshman right-handed pitcher Cameron Cotter to close out. Cotter pitched three straight strikeouts to give the Pack one final shot at the game.
“My real goal out there was to keep a zero on the board and give our offense a shot there at the bottom of the inning,” Cotter said. “I just wanted to do everything I could to keep them off the board. It’s a good feeling being my first season and everything.”
In the bottom of the ninth, the Wolfpack threat started with Wilson cracking a one-out double to left-center field, moving over sophomore Jonny Butler who had been walked. Edwards was struck out, but Bailey was walked to load the bases. McDonough saw a pitch that he liked and crushed it to deep center field, but it was barely not enough, falling on the warning track where the Campbell center fielder caught it to end the game.
“We had that one rough inning, but I thought we played great,” Avent said. “Campbell’s a good team, but I thought our energy got it going late. I thought there were signs that this team wanted to win so bad that now that the school is behind them. I’ll be interested to see what this weekend is like.”
The Wolfpack is back in action on Friday as it begins its second to last series against the Clemson Tigers at Doak Field. The first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
“We need to continue with the energy and the mindset we had in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings,” Avent said. “If we do that I think we will be just fine.”
