Friday, March 24
Raleigh, N.C.
6:30:00 PM
NC State
13-10, 0
3
vs
1
#1 Louisville
19-2, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Louisville
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
7
0
NC State
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
X
3
6
0
Photo by: James Guillory
#STATEMENT! NC State Baseball Takes Down #1 Louisville, 3-1
3/24/2017 11:01:00 PM | Baseball
Wolfpack pitching limits Cardinals to just one run, fewest they have scored this season
RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State baseball team used a strong overall performance to upset the top-ranked Louisville Cardinals, 3-1, Friday night at Doak Field at Dail Park. It was the Cardinals first loss in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play and just their second overall loss.
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The Wolfpack moves to 13-10 on the year and 4-3 in ACC play, while the Cardinals fall to 19-2 and 6-1 in conference action. Senior lefty Sean Adler picked up the win to move to 3-2 on the year, while preseason All-American Brendan McKay suffers his first loss (4-1).
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Avent's Additions
Opening statement…
"I thought we played great tonight," said head coach Elliott Avent. "It's a great win, but the main thing is how good we played. We've hung in there this year and haven't hit or pitched as well as we would have liked to, but tonight we did both very well.
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"Louisville's a great team and Brendan McKay is a great pitcher. He hadn't given up an extra-base hit all year and we got six hits and four of them were extra bases."
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Game Recap
NC State jumped on Louisville starter McKay early with a pair of runs in the first inning. Stephen Pitarra led off with an infield single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Freshman Brad Debo doubled down the left field line to plate Pitarra to give the Wolfpack a 1-0 lead on the top-ranked Cardinals.
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Evan Mendoza followed with a double to right center, allowing Debo to race around to score from second base as NC State extended the lead to 2-0.
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The Wolfpack stretched the advantage to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a solo home run from Andy Cosgrove. He drove the 0-1 pitch over the left field wall for his second homer and the first that McKay has allowed this season.
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Louisville ended Adler's shutout bid in the top of the sixth after Tyler Fitzgerald singled to start the inning and advanced to second after a sacrifice bunt. Devin Hairston doubled down the right field line to score Fitzgerald to end NC State's shutout.
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After a walk to put Cardinal runners at first and second, Joe O'Donnell entered the game for NC State and induced a groundout to Joe Dunand at shortstop to end the threat.
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The Cards threatened again in the seventh with runners at the corners and two outs, but O'Donnell rose to the occasion and struck out the next batter looking to escape the jam.
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Louisville had the tying run at the plate in the ninth following a triple by Josh Slowers, but O'Donnell struck out the next batter swinging to end the game and seal the win.
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Game Notes
- The Wolfpack's win against No. 1 Louisville was the first win for the program versus the nation's top-ranked team since April 27, 2013, when NC State defeated UNC-Chapel Hill.
- NC State handed the Cardinals their first ACC regular-season loss since May 7, 2016 at UNC-Chapel Hill.
- Louisville pitcher McKay had not given up an extra-base hit this season and the Wolfpack tallied four, including a home run by Cosgrove. He had also allowed one earned run and NC State scored three earned runs against him.
- Wolfpack pitchers limited Louisville to just one run, the fewest the Cardinals have scored in a game this season.
Tweets of the Game
Up Next
Game two of the series is set for 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Doak Field at Dail Park. The contest will be broadcast live on Regional Sports Network (RSN).
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#STATEMENT
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The Wolfpack moves to 13-10 on the year and 4-3 in ACC play, while the Cardinals fall to 19-2 and 6-1 in conference action. Senior lefty Sean Adler picked up the win to move to 3-2 on the year, while preseason All-American Brendan McKay suffers his first loss (4-1).
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Avent's Additions
Opening statement…
"I thought we played great tonight," said head coach Elliott Avent. "It's a great win, but the main thing is how good we played. We've hung in there this year and haven't hit or pitched as well as we would have liked to, but tonight we did both very well.
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"Louisville's a great team and Brendan McKay is a great pitcher. He hadn't given up an extra-base hit all year and we got six hits and four of them were extra bases."
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Game Recap
NC State jumped on Louisville starter McKay early with a pair of runs in the first inning. Stephen Pitarra led off with an infield single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Freshman Brad Debo doubled down the left field line to plate Pitarra to give the Wolfpack a 1-0 lead on the top-ranked Cardinals.
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Evan Mendoza followed with a double to right center, allowing Debo to race around to score from second base as NC State extended the lead to 2-0.
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The Wolfpack stretched the advantage to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a solo home run from Andy Cosgrove. He drove the 0-1 pitch over the left field wall for his second homer and the first that McKay has allowed this season.
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Louisville ended Adler's shutout bid in the top of the sixth after Tyler Fitzgerald singled to start the inning and advanced to second after a sacrifice bunt. Devin Hairston doubled down the right field line to score Fitzgerald to end NC State's shutout.
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After a walk to put Cardinal runners at first and second, Joe O'Donnell entered the game for NC State and induced a groundout to Joe Dunand at shortstop to end the threat.
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The Cards threatened again in the seventh with runners at the corners and two outs, but O'Donnell rose to the occasion and struck out the next batter looking to escape the jam.
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Louisville had the tying run at the plate in the ninth following a triple by Josh Slowers, but O'Donnell struck out the next batter swinging to end the game and seal the win.
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Game Notes
- The Wolfpack's win against No. 1 Louisville was the first win for the program versus the nation's top-ranked team since April 27, 2013, when NC State defeated UNC-Chapel Hill.
- NC State handed the Cardinals their first ACC regular-season loss since May 7, 2016 at UNC-Chapel Hill.
- Louisville pitcher McKay had not given up an extra-base hit this season and the Wolfpack tallied four, including a home run by Cosgrove. He had also allowed one earned run and NC State scored three earned runs against him.
- Wolfpack pitchers limited Louisville to just one run, the fewest the Cardinals have scored in a game this season.
Tweets of the Game
ÂSean Adler exits to a nice standing ovation with 2 on, 2 out in the 6th, leading 3-0. Out-pitched McKay today. pic.twitter.com/sa9rS2CDPi
— Aaron Fitt (@aaronfitt) March 25, 2017
WOLFPACK WINS! O'Donnell strikes out the batter to end it, as #Pack9 upsets #1 Louisville, 3-1, in game one of the series #STATEMENT ??? pic.twitter.com/DvwcfjeL6X
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) March 25, 2017
Up Next
Game two of the series is set for 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Doak Field at Dail Park. The contest will be broadcast live on Regional Sports Network (RSN).
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#STATEMENT
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Adler, Sean (3-2)
L: Brendan McKay (4-1)
S: O'Donnell, Joe (1)
Batting:
2B: Devin Hairston 1
3B: Josh Stowers 1
RBI: Devin Hairston 1
SH: Logan Taylor 1 ; Colin Lyman 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tyler Fitzgerald 1
SB: Josh Stowers 1
Batting:
2B: McLain, Josh 1 ; Debo, Brad 1 ; Mendoza, Evan 1
HR: Cosgrove, Andy 1
RBI: Debo, Brad 1 ; Mendoza, Evan 1 ; Cosgrove, Andy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pitarra, Stephen 1 ; Debo, Brad 1 ; Cosgrove, Andy 1
SB: McLain, Josh 2
CS: Deatherage, Brock 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
LHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
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