The NC State softball team won the first of a Saturday evening doubleheader at Dail Softball Stadium, beating Indiana 2-1 in extra innings for its fourth win over a Big Ten team in its last five games.
The Wolfpack (9-4) was held scoreless for most of the game but scored when it mattered most, as sophomore right-hander Sydney Nester held the Hoosiers (5-7) bats at bay by pitching an eight-inning, complete-game gem.
Nester quited the Indiana lineup all game, striking out 10 and allowing just one unearned run on three hits and a walk. The righty kept NC State in the game as its bats lied dormant for the first five innings.
A series of defensive miscues led to Indiana drawing first blood in the top of the first. After an error by Nester put the leadoff batter on first base, NC State failed to cover second base on a stolen base attempt, and junior catcher Sam Sack’s (0 for 2) throw sailed into center field.
Then, with runners on first and third and two outs, Indiana ran a “first and third” play. The Hoosiers intentionally got in a rundown between first and second, and as the Wolfpack scrambled to get the runner at first out, the Hoosiers’ base runner at third darted to the plate, scoring the first run of the game.
NC State threatened in the bottom half of the inning, but to no avail. Junior left fielder Sam Russ (1 for 2, 2 BB, 3B) led off with a hit by pitch, and per usual for the speedy Russ, one base turned into two as she stole second. Senior right fielder Tatyana Forbes (2 for 4, R) legged out an infield single on the next pitch, and with runners at the corners and zero outs, the Wolfpack was threatening. But Forbes was called for leaving early on a stolen base attempt, and back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning.
The Wolfpack finally broke through and tied the game up in the bottom of the sixth. Forbes reached first on a fielder’s choice and junior infielder Logan Morris (1 for 3, RBI) lined a single into center field, putting runners on first and second. Both base runners then advanced a base on a wild pitch, and senior center fielder Angie Rizzi (0 for 3, RBI) drove in Forbes with a ground ball to short, tying the game at 1-1.
After a scoreless seventh inning, the teams went to extras and NC State didn’t hesitate in ending the game as soon as it could. With the bases loaded and no outs, Morris stepped to the plate and hit her second walkoff in as many weekends, this time hitting a deep fly ball to center field for a sacrifice fly that scored sophomore infielder April Visser (0 for 2, 2 K) and won the game for NC State.
NC State will return to action later Saturday evening when it takes on Saint Joseph’s for its second game of the day. First pitch of that game will be approximately 6:15 p.m.
