The No. 13 NC State baseball team was defeated 8-4 by No. 15 Georgia Tech Sunday, Feb. 28. This marked the completion of the three-game sweep for the Yellow Jackets over the Wolfpack, and NC State’s fourth straight defeat.
After going down four runs in the first inning, the Wolfpack (2-4, 0-3 ACC) attempted to come back. However, each time NC State scored, the Yellow Jackets (6-1, 3-0 ACC) responded with runs of their own. Also offensively, the Wolfpack left 10 runners on base. Junior first baseman Austin Murr (2-4, 2 R, BB, K) led the team hitting-wise with two hits on the day.
“We did not play well at all this weekend,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “We still have a long way to go in a lot of areas.”
In the first inning, the Yellow Jackets got the big hits to open the game up. With two outs, Drew Compton lined a two-RBI double to right-center field. The next batter, Colin Hall, scored him with an RBI double off the left field wall. To cap off the opening frame, Jake Holland drilled an RBI single to right field to give Georgia Tech the early 4-0 lead.
This would be the end of the line for the Wolfpack starting pitcher, freshman lefty Chris Villaman. Recording just two outs, Villaman allowed four earned runs on three hits with two walks. Junior right-handed pitcher Reid Johnston (4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 K) was tasked with taking over on the mound for NC State.
“There’s a rhythm thing with pitchers and there’s a consistency thing and a routine thing,” Avent said. “Sometimes you have to overcome those things and obviously we’re not good at overcoming those things right now.”
The Wolfpack got on the board in the third inning on a perfectly executed safety-squeeze bunt from junior second baseman J.T. Jarrett (0-4, RBI) which scored sophomore third baseman Vojtech Mensik (1-1, 2 BB, HBP).
Georgia Tech answered that with a run of its own in the fourth inning. Justyn-Henry Malloy hit a deep sacrifice fly by the left field foul line that scored Austin Wilhite to increase the Yellow Jackets’ lead back to four runs.
NC State loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth inning trying to chip away at Georgia Tech’s lead, but freshman shortstop Jose Torres (0-2) struck out on three pitches to end the threat.
The Wolfpack got its second run of the game in the fifth inning as junior left fielder Jonny Butler (1-4, RBI, BB) ripped an RBI single to score Murr, who led off the inning with a double.
With junior left-handed pitcher Canaan Silver (2.0 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 K) now on the mound for the Wolfpack, GT catcher Kevin Parada drove in a run with an RBI double off the left field wall. The earned run was credited to Johnston’s line as the runner who scored was walked by him earlier in the frame.
In a game that could have completely got away from NC State early, Johnston steadied the ship. He went 4.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits while striking out three.
“I had a job to do,” Johnston said. “It was to come in and go as long as I can and give it all I had until I passed it off to the next guy.”
In the seventh inning, NC State continued to scrap as Tresh crushed a home run to left field to cut the Yellow Jackets lead to 6-3. However, that run was immediately answered in the eighth inning as Wilhite led off the frame with a dinger to left-center field. Later in the frame, an RBI double off the center field wall from Stephen Reid gave the Yellow Jackets their eighth run.
“One through nine there are no easy outs,” Johnston said.” Late in the count they put balls in play. Give credit to [Georgia Tech], they hit the ball when they needed to, and they’re a good offense.”
NC State scored its fourth and final run in the ninth inning on a wild pitch with two outs.
The Wolfpack will be back in action Tuesday, March 2, for a home nonconference tilt with Campbell. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. with the game being televised on the ACC Network.
