The softball team seems to be hitting its stride, as yesterday’s 9-0 victory in six innings tied the team’s highest scoring output of the season. The win was the fourth victory in the last five games for N.C. State and is the team’s most lopsided victory of the season. The Wolfpack jumped out to a five run lead in the first two innings and this would prove more than enough on a day that saw the Pack outhit the Buccaneers 12-2.
Junior right fielder Allison Presnell, who went 2-4 with two runs and three RBI’s, said she was pleased to see how well the team clicked in all three phases of the game.
“We were really happy to come out and be playing on all cylinders. We hit the ball well, we played good defense and pitching was awesome,” Presnell said. “Usually when you come to the game and you bring those three elements, you are going to win.”
State set the tone early with two runs in the bottom of the first. After a fly out to center by sophomore second baseman Alyssa Ishibashi, the team scored two runs on four consecutive base hits. After a double by Presnell, sophomore third baseman Bridget Desbois also doubled, driving in the run. Then, juniors Claudia Cooper and Kristine Bechtholdt singled to move Desbois to third and eventually across home plate.
Presnell attributed the offensive success to smart batting throughout the lineup.
“We hit well all the way through the lineup. Everybody had great at-bats and swung at good pitches,” Presnell said. “We didn’t swing at balls, we were very selectively aggressive.”
The Pack added three more runs on three hits in the second inning thanks to a three-run homer Presnell blasted to center with two on and one out.
While State’s five runs after three innings would have been more than enough for the win, they went on to add two more runs on two hits in the fourth before senior first baseman Mackenzie Mangum’s two-RBI double to left in the bottom of the sixth officially ended the game.
According to Section 16.a.4 of the NCAA softball rulebook, a game ends if a team holds a lead of eight runs or greater in the fifth inning or later.
Coach Lisa Navas said she was thrilled to see her team hit the ball so well.
“[I was] glad to see that we hit the ball hard. Ishibashi started us out, hit the ball hard,” Navas said. “And we just continued from there.”
As impressive as the offensive performance by the Wolfpack was the effort turned in by the pitchers, who combined to give up just two hits and two walks in six scoreless innings. Senior Mendy McKenzie started the game and struck out six batters in four innings and freshman pitcher Morgan Peeler entered in the top of the fifth inning and sealed the game by relinquishing one hit and one walk in the game’s final two innings.
Navas said she is hopeful the team will duplicate the balanced attack they utilized against Charleston Southern in this afternoon’s doubleheader with 13th ranked Ohio State.
“The kids feel good, [so] we will take this into tomorrow and try to keep it going,” Navas said. “Ohio State is a big test for us and we’re excited about it because they’re having a good season.”
