NC State
19-0, 5-0
#1 Florida State
13-4, 2-3
#Pack9 Walks Off Against No. 1 Florida State to Clinch Series, Stay Unbeaten
3/16/2019 11:36:00 PM | Baseball
Wolfpack earns third walkoff win of the season
With the win, the Wolfpack clinched the series and remains unbeaten on the year with a 19-0 record. At 5-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play, NC State is the only team without a loss in league action.
NC State's 19 wins to open the season ties the program record for most consecutive wins in a single season, set by the 1990 squad. The Pack picked up its third walkoff victory of the season and moved to 9-0 in games decided by one run.
Trailing 8-5 heading to the bottom of the eighth, the Wolfpack tied the game thanks to a three-run homer over the left field wall by Brad Debo. The junior clubbed an 0-1 pitch for his second round-tripper of the season to help NC State rally from the deficit and give the team momentum.
Devonte Brown led off the ninth with a great at-bat, as he walked on a 3-1 pitch and Will Wilson followed with a walk. After a wild pitch to move the runners over to third and second, respectively, McDonough tallied the first walkoff hit of his young career with a single up the middle.
Celebration time at #TheDoak
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) March 17, 2019
The ☝️ of many walkoff hits for the freshman @tm_mcdonough
🙌🙌🙌💦💦💦 pic.twitter.com/Suc2EuFzS4
Redshirt sophomore Dalton Feeney pitched a scoreless top of the ninth to earn his first win since April 29, 2017. Florida State's (13-4, 2-3 ACC) Conor Grady was charged with the loss and fell to 2-1 on the year.
Avent's Additions
"That was a great comeback win," said head coach Elliott Avent. "You're sitting there knowing it's going to be a close game with how good Florida State is and you know you can't give away any runs. After [Mike] Salvatore hit that home run, you go wow, and then this team takes over.
"The resiliency and belief of this team is incredible. It was kind of the same mindset that we had going into the eighth inning at Charlotte. They wanted to get this thing going and they did. [Tyler] McDonough battled and battled and came through with a big time at-bat against a quality pitcher."
Quick Hits
- After being shutout and held without an extra-base hit in Friday's game, Florida State ended both of those droughts on one swing of the bat as Drew Mendoza hit a two-run homer in the top of the first to grab a 2-0 lead.
- The Seminoles extended the advantage to 4-0 in the second after an RBI triple from Mike Salvatore and a single from Reese Albert.
- NC State answered in the bottom of inning to knot the score at 4-4, the 13th time this season the Wolfpack has tallied a 'big' inning with four or more runs in the frame.
- Terrell Tatum singled to left field to drive in a pair of runs, as Edwards walked, and McDonough doubled earlier in the inning to score on the play.
- David Vazquez stepped to the plate next and launched his first homer of the season and second of his career to tie the ballgame at four.
- A single from Wilson started the third for the Wolfpack and he scored later in the inning on an RBI single from McDonough, as NC State took a 5-4 lead.
Inside the Box Score
- McDonough tallied his team-leading 11th multi-hit game, as he was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs.
- Bailey and Edwards both extended their reached base safely streak to 19 games.
- The Wolfpack compiled a .500 clip at the plate with runners in scoring position.
STILL UNBEATEN!!!!!!! WOLFPACK WINS!!!!!!!!!#McDonough chops a single up the middle, #Brown scores from third as #Pack9 WALKS OFF on top-ranked Florida State, 9-8, to clinch the series and remain unbeaten at 1⃣9⃣↔️0⃣#STATEment // #GoPack 💯✅ pic.twitter.com/wJaVX23jo0
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) March 17, 2019
On Deck
NC State and Florida State will wrap-up the series on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Doak Field at Dail Park.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Feeney, Dalton (1-0)
L: Conor Grady (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Mike Salvatore 1 ; J.C. Flowers 1 ; Matheu Nelson 1
3B: Mike Salvatore 1
HR: Mike Salvatore 1 ; Drew Mendoza 1
RBI: Mike Salvatore 4 ; Reese Albert 1 ; Drew Mendoza 2 ; Nander De Sedas 1
SH: Matheu Nelson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mike Salvatore 3 ; Drew Mendoza 1 ; J.C. Flowers 1 ; Nander De Sedas 1 ; Matheu Nelson 2
SB: Drew Mendoza 1 ; Alec Sanchez 1 ; Nander De Sedas 1 ; Matheu Nelson 1
CS: Reese Albert 1
HBP: Elijah Cabell 1
Batting:
2B: McDonough, Tyler 1
HR: Debo, Brad 1 ; Vazquez, David 1
RBI: McDonough, Tyler 2 ; Debo, Brad 3 ; Tatum, Terrell 2 ; Vazquez, David 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Brown, Devonte 1 ; Wilson, Will 1 ; Edwards, Evan 2 ; McDonough, Tyler 2 ; Debo, Brad 1 ; Tatum, Terrell 1 ; Vazquez, David 1
