CHARLOTTE — The No. 16 NC State baseball team clinched its spot in the ACC Championship game with an 8-1 win over No. 17 Georgia Tech Saturday night in Charlotte.
Once again, the Wolfpack got terrific starting pitching from freshman right-handed pitcher Sam Highfill (6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K). He set the tone on the mound for the rest of the team in the semifinal matchup.
“Sam Highfill was really good and we played a pretty good ball game,” said NC State head coach Elliott Avent.
Sophomore catcher Luca Tresh (2-4, 2 RBI, 1 HR, 1 BB) had two hits on the night to lead the Wolfpack offensively, including a mammoth home run in the fourth inning.
In the second inning with two outs, the Wolfpack got a massive hit from its nine-hole hitter, junior second baseman J.T. Jarrett (1-2, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HBP) with the bases loaded. The Greensboro native cleared the bases with a 3-RBI double down the left field line to give NC State a 3-0 lead.
“[Jarrett] might be in the nine hole, but he’s not a nine-hole hitter,” Avent said. “He’s just a competitor and when you compete good things happen.”
Georgia Tech got on the board in the third inning when Luke Waddell hit an RBI fielder’s choice to first base to score the runner from third base. Little did the Yellow Jackets know that this would be their only run of the evening.
NC State responded immediately in the fourth inning as Tresh led off the inning with a solo home run to left field. It was his second extra-base hit of the game.
In the sixth inning, the Yellow Jackets thought they had gotten within one run after Kevin Parada smoked a ball over the fence down the left field line with a runner on base. It was originally ruled a home run, but after a video review it was overturned and ruled foul, keeping NC State’s three-run lead intact.
In the seventh inning, junior left-handed pitcher Evan Justice (2.2 IP, 1 K) came into the game with one out and a runner on first after Highfill was pulled. On his second pitch, he got a double play ball to get out of the inning. It was one of three that the NC State infield rolled throughout the game.
“It’s a lot easier as a pitcher going out there competing knowing you got [NC State’s infield] behind you,” Justice said. “They’re always capable of [rolling double plays]”.
The Wolfpack added an insurance run in the eighth inning with an RBI single from freshman shortstop Jose Torres (1-4, 1 RBI) that scored junior left fielder Jonny Butler (1-4, 1 BB). The pitch before the single, Butler advanced to second base on a balk to get into scoring position for Torres.
NC State wasn’t done as it added three more runs in the ninth inning. Sophomore third baseman Vojtech Mensik (0-3, 1 BB) got on with a walk, then on back-to-back pitches stole second and third. A throwing error from the catcher on the second attempt allowed Mensik to score. To cap things off, sophomore center fielder Tyler McDonough (1-5, 2 RBI, 1 HR) launched a two-run homer off the left field foul pole to give NC State a 8-1 lead.
The Wolfpack will be back in action for the ACC Championship game Sunday, May 30 at noon against Duke. The game will be televised on ESPN2. Follow @TechSports on Twitter for live updates from Truist Field in uptown Charlotte.
“I think it’s more a testament to Duke University and our guys at NC State and what both teams did,” Avent said. “Started out a little rough, stick with things, and good things usually happen if you stick with it for a long period of time, especially in baseball.”
