The NC State baseball team was defeated 13-1 by No. 7 Louisville at Doak Field Friday, March 19 in its first game since March 7 due to a positive COVID-19 test within the program.
The Cardinals (12-5, 5-2 ACC) dominated the Wolfpack (4-7, 1-6 ACC) in every facet of the game, outhitting NC State 16-3. The rusty Wolfpack bats ran into a wagon on the mound in left-handed pitcher Michael Kirian.
Kirian worked the Wolfpack for 7.1 innings giving up just two hits while allowing one earned run and striking out 13 batters. He took a no-hitter into the eighth inning.
The Cardinals opened the game with a bang in the first inning as Henry Davis smoked a two-run home run to left field off Wolfpack junior starting pitcher lefty Evan Justice (4.1 IP, 7 ER, 7 H, 5 K, 4 BB) to give them the early lead.
In the second inning, Davis came up with the bases loaded for the Cardinals. He continued to rake as he lined a bases-clearing double down the third base line to give his team a 5-0 lead.
NC State did not get its first base runner of the game until sophomore catcher Luca Tresh (0-2, BB) drew a walk with two outs in the fourth inning, demonstrating just how dominant Kirian was.
Louisville added four more runs in the fifth inning to push its lead to 9-0. It got an RBI double off the right field wall from Cameron Masterman, then its second bases-clearing double of the game later in the inning from Ben Metzinger.
The Cardinals continued to pour on the runs in the seventh inning as pinch hitter Tim Borden II singled to set up a two-run bomb to left field from Lucas Dunn to give Louisville the 11-0 lead.
RBI singles in the eighth inning from Alex Binelas and Levi Usher gave Louisville two more runs as it showed no mercy on the Wolfpack. It was in the bottom of the frame that junior left fielder Terrell Tatum ripped a single to right field to end the Kirian no-hit bid.
The Wolfpack scored it’s only run of the game later in the inning on an RBI single to left field from freshman shortstop Jose Torres (1-3).
NC State will be back in action for game two of the Louisville series Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will be televised online on ACC Network Extra. Follow @TechSports on Twitter for live updates from Doak Field.
