Sunday, April 21
Durham, N.C.
1 PM
NC State
25-22, 6-12
5
at
4
Duke
24-27, 11-10
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3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
NC State
0
0
5
0
0
0
0
5
8
1
Duke
0
2
0
0
0
0
2
4
7
0
Three Third-Inning Homers Lead Wolfpack to Series Win at Duke
4/21/2019 3:47:00 PM | Softball
DURHAM, N.C. – The NC State softball team hit three home runs in the span of four at-bats in the top of the third inning to win its rubber match against Duke, 5-4, Sunday afternoon at Duke Softball Stadium.
With the win, the Wolfpack improves to 25-22 (6-12 ACC), while the Blue Devils fall to 24-27 (11-10 ACC). The victory in the deciding game secured NC State's second ACC series win of the year, marking the first time since the 2017 season that the Pack has won at least two conference series.
OF NOTE:
- The Wolfpack hit three home runs in one inning as Brigette Nordberg, Skylar Johnston and April Visser all went yard in the top of the third. It marked NC State's 12th multi-home run game of the season.
- Johnston and Visser hit home runs in back-to-back appearances at the plate, marking the third time this season that the Pack has gone yard in consecutive at-bats. It was the team's first time doing so since its win over Campbell on March 3.
- With the three homers on the day, the Pack's single-season total is up to 52 as a team, which is good for seventh in program history.
- Russ collected three hits in four appearances at the plate on Sunday afternoon, tying her career high for single-game hits. Visser (2-for-4) also added a multi-hit game.
- Freshman Sydney Nester pitched her second complete game of the series to improve to 14-6 on the year.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Duke got on the board in the second inning as it plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to build up a lead. Kristina Foreman led off with a single, reached second as Raine Wilson was walked and took third on a wild pitch. A sac fly to foul territory scored Foreman to put Duke on the board, and a single in the very next at-bat by Caroline Jacobsen scored Wilson as the Blue Devils took a 2-0 lead.
- NC State's bats came alive in the top of the third inning as the first six batters in the frame got on base off of four hits and two walks. The Pack hit three home runs in the span of four at-bats to tie up the game and then take a lead in the outing.
- Sam Russ led off the third inning with a single up the middle, and Nordberg went yard for the 15th time on the season as her bomb to left field scored her and Russ.
- Logan Morris drew the walk in the next at-bat before Johnston came up to the plate to knock a long ball, her third of the season, over the center field wall to give NC State a two-run lead at 4-2.
- Visser homered for the second game in a row as she sent her fifth bomb of the season out at right field. The solo shot added a run to the Pack's tally and built NC State's lead up to 5-2.
- Duke managed to plate a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh as a Foreman single to right center scored Gagliano and Davis, who had both reached base on walks.
- Nester froze Jameson Kavel for the final out of the game to put the final score at 5-4 in favor of NC State.
ON DECK:
NC State will be in action at home for the remainder of the regular season, beginning with a pair of midweek games at Dail Softball Stadium. The Pack will host NC Central on Tuesday and will welcome Campbell to Raleigh on Wednesday. Both games are set for 6 p.m. first pitches and will be broadcast live on the ACC Network Extra.
With the win, the Wolfpack improves to 25-22 (6-12 ACC), while the Blue Devils fall to 24-27 (11-10 ACC). The victory in the deciding game secured NC State's second ACC series win of the year, marking the first time since the 2017 season that the Pack has won at least two conference series.
OF NOTE:
- The Wolfpack hit three home runs in one inning as Brigette Nordberg, Skylar Johnston and April Visser all went yard in the top of the third. It marked NC State's 12th multi-home run game of the season.
- Johnston and Visser hit home runs in back-to-back appearances at the plate, marking the third time this season that the Pack has gone yard in consecutive at-bats. It was the team's first time doing so since its win over Campbell on March 3.
- With the three homers on the day, the Pack's single-season total is up to 52 as a team, which is good for seventh in program history.
- Russ collected three hits in four appearances at the plate on Sunday afternoon, tying her career high for single-game hits. Visser (2-for-4) also added a multi-hit game.
- Freshman Sydney Nester pitched her second complete game of the series to improve to 14-6 on the year.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Duke got on the board in the second inning as it plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to build up a lead. Kristina Foreman led off with a single, reached second as Raine Wilson was walked and took third on a wild pitch. A sac fly to foul territory scored Foreman to put Duke on the board, and a single in the very next at-bat by Caroline Jacobsen scored Wilson as the Blue Devils took a 2-0 lead.
- NC State's bats came alive in the top of the third inning as the first six batters in the frame got on base off of four hits and two walks. The Pack hit three home runs in the span of four at-bats to tie up the game and then take a lead in the outing.
- Sam Russ led off the third inning with a single up the middle, and Nordberg went yard for the 15th time on the season as her bomb to left field scored her and Russ.
- Logan Morris drew the walk in the next at-bat before Johnston came up to the plate to knock a long ball, her third of the season, over the center field wall to give NC State a two-run lead at 4-2.
- Visser homered for the second game in a row as she sent her fifth bomb of the season out at right field. The solo shot added a run to the Pack's tally and built NC State's lead up to 5-2.
- Duke managed to plate a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh as a Foreman single to right center scored Gagliano and Davis, who had both reached base on walks.
- Nester froze Jameson Kavel for the final out of the game to put the final score at 5-4 in favor of NC State.
ON DECK:
NC State will be in action at home for the remainder of the regular season, beginning with a pair of midweek games at Dail Softball Stadium. The Pack will host NC Central on Tuesday and will welcome Campbell to Raleigh on Wednesday. Both games are set for 6 p.m. first pitches and will be broadcast live on the ACC Network Extra.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Nester, Sydney (14-6)
L: Shelby Walters (5-13)
Batting:
2B: Visser, April 1
HR: Nordberg, Brigette 1 ; Johnston, Skylar 1 ; Visser, April 1
RBI: Nordberg, Brigette 1 ; Johnston, Skylar 2 ; Visser, April 1
SH: Garner, Chandley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Russ, Sam 1 ; Nordberg, Brigette 1 ; Morris, Logan 1 ; Johnston, Skylar 1 ; Visser, April 1
SB: Russ, Sam 1
Batting:
RBI: Kristina Foreman 2 ; Jameson Kavel 1 ; Caroline Jacobsen 1
SF: Jameson Kavel 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Marissa Gagliano 1 ; Deja Davis 1 ; Kristina Foreman 1 ; Raine Wilson 1
SB: Deja Davis 1
HBP: Caroline Jacobsen 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballULT
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball#BehindThe20 with former Pack Stars Abbie Sims and Renada Davis
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Softball: Players Presser (2/15)
Thursday, February 15
Softball: Coach Leftwich Presser (2/15)
Thursday, February 15
EmpowHER with Aisha Weixlmann #Shorts #NCState #GoPack
Monday, October 16