The NC State baseball team split a doubleheader with UNCW at Brooks Field in its second fall exhibition showcase, losing the first game 6-2 and winning the second game 11-1.
Both teams started off slow on offense in the first game, except for a solo home run by UNCW in the second inning. The Seahawks then caught fire in the sixth, tacking on three runs with two hits, making the score 4-0.
The Wolfpack could not get anything going in the first game, going scoreless until the final inning. It managed to load the bases and senior outfielder Lawson McArthur was able to drive in two runs with a single. However, it wasn’t enough, and UNCW tacked on two more runs in the seventh to end the game, beating the NC State 6-2.
The second game of the doubleheader was the opposite for the Wolfpack. Its offense was booming, starting off with an RBI double from junior infielder J.T. Jarrett in the second and a two-run homer by senior catcher Brad Debo in the third inning.
A couple of errors by UNCW and a two-RBI single by junior outfielder Austin Murr produced three more runs in the fourth inning. Debo continued to produce, with a two-RBI single in the top of the fifth along with another run coming in that inning, making the score 9-1.
The Wolfpack tacked on two more runs in the last inning, with a solo home run by freshman infielder Will Butcher, and singles by freshman outfielder Noah Soles and junior outfielder Devonte Brown made the score 11-1 going into the bottom of the 7th.
NC State’s defense was exceptional in the second game, only allowing one run the whole game. Freshman pitchers Austin Pace and Tim Cao looked solid, with Pace only allowing one run in two innings pitched and Cao pitching a scoreless inning.
Junior pitcher Canaan Silver contributed with two shutout innings along the way. Redshirt sophomore pitcher Josh Pike added on a scoreless inning, and senior pitcher Kent Klyman ended the game, striking out the side.
NC State baseball looks to have a promising 2020 season in the spring and also just defeated South Carolina last week 15-5. As always, its offense has looked stellar, and its pitching has made noticeable improvements from the three games it has played this fall. There is also a lot of young talent on the team that has the potential to be dangerous over the next few years.
