NC State
30-7, 14-5
#3 Duke
30-9, 12-6
No. 2 NC State Baseball Runs Past Third-Ranked Duke in Series Opener, 9-2
4/20/2018 9:52:00 PM | Baseball
Wolfpack records at least 10 hits for the sixth consecutive game
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The Wolfpack records its fourth consecutive win and seventh in its last eight games to take a 1-0 lead in the series against the Blue Devils. NC State, which leads the ACC in scoring, has now scored at least eight runs in eight consecutive games.
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NC State moves to 30-7 on the year and 14-5 in ACC play, while Duke falls to 30-9 and 12-6 in conference action. Johnston remains unbeaten on the season and improves to 6-0 with the win, while Blue Devils starter Adam Laskey falls to 6-3.
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Quick Hits
- NC State struck first in the contest for the fourth consecutive game, after Terrell Tatum scored on an RBI single through the left side by Brock Deatherage.
- Duke countered in the bottom half of the inning with a run to even the score at one after a triple by Kennie Taylor and an RBI groundout by Griffin Conine.
- The Wolfpack answered in its next at-bat with three runs to grab a 4-1 lead.
- Evan Edwards drove in Brett Kinneman on a single to center field and Tatum had the big hit in the frame with a two-RBI single up the middle with the bases loaded.
- NC State scored four runs in the fourth to break the game open and tally its 22nd 'big' inning (four or more runs in an inning) of the season.
- Dillon Cooper reached on a bunt single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Will Wilson to make it 5-1.
- Two batters later, freshman Patrick Bailey hit a bases-clearing triple to deep center field to push the Pack's lead to 8-1.
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Update from Durham:
— NC State Athletics (@PackAthletics) April 20, 2018
Things are going well for @NCStateBaseball this evening. Carry on.
?? https://t.co/cte2NcGo9T (#GoPack #ncsu) pic.twitter.com/nkextdQ875
- Duke got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, but NC State returned the favor with a run in the sixth to retake a seven-run advantage.
- Will Wilson doubled and came around to score on a single by Edwards to give NC State a 9-2 lead.
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Inside the Box Score
- Eight of the nine batters in NC State's lineup tallied at least one hit in the contest.
- Josh McLain turned in a 3-for-5 performance with a run, while Deatherage also had a three-hit outing with an RBI.
- NC State was 7-for-12 in the game with runners on base and limited Duke to 1-for-10 with runners.
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On the Mound
- Johnston delivered a gem for the Wolfpack with a career-long 6.2 innings pitched and limited the Blue Devils to just four hits, while striking out three batters.
- Nolan Clenney relieved the freshman in the seventh and threw the final 2.1 innings. He fanned four batters, highlighted by striking out the side in the ninth.
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On Deck
NC State and Duke will return to the field for game two of the series at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field.
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15 hits
— NC State Athletics (@PackAthletics) April 21, 2018
9 runs
A win over a top-10 team
Have a day, @NCStateBaseball! #GoPack #STATEment pic.twitter.com/54DYxntfz6
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Johnston, Reid (6-0)
L: Adam Laskey (6-3)
Batting:
2B: Wilson, Will 1
3B: Bailey, Patrick 1
RBI: Wilson, Will 1 ; Edwards, Evan 2 ; Bailey, Patrick 3 ; Tatum, Terrell 2 ; Deatherage, Brock 1
SF: Wilson, Will 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McLain, Josh 1 ; Kinneman, Brett 2 ; Wilson, Will 2 ; Edwards, Evan 2 ; Tatum, Terrell 1 ; Cooper, Dillon 1
CS: Deatherage, Brock 1
PO: Deatherage, Brock 1
Batting:
2B: Jimmy Herron 1 ; Zack Kone 1 ; Michael Smiciklas 1
3B: Kennie Taylor 1
RBI: Jimmy Herron 1 ; Griffin Conine 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kennie Taylor 1 ; Tyler Wardwell 1
HBP: Joey Loperfido 1 ; Tyler Wardwell 1
