The NC State baseball team fell to No. 6 Miami 6-4 Sunday afternoon at Doak Field in the rubber match of the three-game set. This is the second consecutive ACC series loss for the Wolfpack (4-6, 1-5 ACC) to start conference play after being swept by Georgia Tech last weekend.
“Miami is a very good team,” said NC State head coach Elliott Avent. “A couple of mistakes we made in Saturday’s and today’s game they took advantage of, as good teams are capable of doing.”
A five-run sixth inning for the Hurricanes that included three straight home runs doomed the Wolfpack after jumping out to a 3-0 lead.
Through three innings, each team was struggling to figure out each other’s starting pitchers, freshman right-handed pitcher Matt Willadsen (5 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 4 K) for NC State and Victor Mederos for Miami. Both teams had three hits, but no real threats to open up the scoring.
“I think for me today a big pitch was changeup,” Willadsen said. “Changeup seemed to keep them off balance a little bit.”
In the fourth inning, the Wolfpack opened the scoring. Sophomore catcher Luca Tresh (1-4, 1 RBI, BB) led off with a walk then junior left fielder Jonny Butler (1-3, 2 RBI, HR, BB) demolished a two-run homer to right field to give NC State the lead.
As Willadsen continued to cruise, the fifth inning ended on a strike-him-out, throw-him-out double play that was called safe. However, after a video review, it was determined that freshman shortstop Jose Torres (1-3, RBI) applied the tag on time.
The Wolfpack kept it going in the bottom half of the frame scoring another run. This time on a RBI double to right-center field from sophomore center fielder Tyler McDonough (1-5, RBI) that scored junior first baseman Austin Murr (2-5).
In the sixth inning the Miami bats finally woke up. Back-to-back homers tied the game up as the Hurricanes lineup wreaked havoc in their third time through the lineup. The first bomb was a two-run shot off the bat of Anthony Vilar while the second was from Yohandy Morales.
This was the end of the line for Willadsen, who looked really good except for the sixth inning. Freshman left-handed pitcher Chris Villaman (0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, 2 K) came in relief for NC State.
Despite the new pitcher, Miami continued to push forward offensively. Adrian Del Castillo hammered a solo shot that just stayed fair along the right field line. This was the third straight home run for the Hurricanes and gave them a 4-3 lead. Miami added one more run in the inning on a bases loaded walk.
NC State responded in the bottom half of the frame with a RBI sacrifice fly to center field from Torres that scored junior right fielder Devonte Brown (0-3, BB).
Leading off the seventh inning for Miami was Morales, who drilled his second homer of the day, this time off senior left-handed pitcher Kent Klyman (1.1 IP, H, ER, 2 K, 3 BB).
NC State only managed two base runners in the final three innings, including being shut down in order in the ninth inning.
“We got 36 conference games, so if you start looking at your record right now, you could lose a little of that confidence that is so important,” Avent said.
The Wolfpack will be back in action on Friday, March 12 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park to take on Duke. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Miami Hurricanes infielder Yohandy Morales celebrates his first home run of the day against the NC State Wolfpack on Sunday, March 7, 2021 in Doak Field at Dail Park. The Hurricanes beat the Wolfpack 6-4.
