Pack softball goes 1-1 against ranked teams Friday in Florida

On Friday, the NC State softball team opened up its season against two top-25 teams and walked away with one win in Clearwater, Florida.

The Wolfpack began its day with a matchup against No. 21 Ole Miss, winning the game 3-2.

Junior catcher Sam Sack began the game with an RBI single and sophomore infielder April Visser delivered a two-run bomb to right field in the second inning to give the Pack an early 3-0 lead. 

Ole Miss would respond with one run in the bottom of the second inning but would leave six runners stranded on base across four innings. 

After scoring its only runs in the second inning, the Pack was able to hang on after a spectacular play to clinch the game from first baseman senior Skylar Johnson to preserve the 3-2 win. 

After a strong opening performance, NC State looked to continue to carry the momentum over to its next game of the day against the No. 8 Minnesota Gophers. 

Minnesota got off to an extremely fast start, opening up the game with a 3-0 lead after the first inning. 

The Pack was able to answer back with two runs of its own in the second inning, bringing the game back to a one-run contest. 

Minnesota did not let up in the bottom of the second inning, however, launching a home run in the second that helped give the Gophers a 5-2 lead. 

The Pack kept fighting though and after senior outfielder Tatyana Forbes brought two base runners in with a single, the game was back within reach for NC State after three innings. 

After the third inning, the Gophers decided they had had enough with the Wolfpack keeping the game close and put up eight unanswered runs to sealed the game. 

The Wolfpack managed to bring home three runs before the conclusion of the game, but the Gophers would walk away with a strong 13-7 win. 

NC State can be happy with a 1-1 record over top-25 opponents and will look to continue the strong start Saturday against another top-25 opponent, the Kentucky Wildcats.