Visser’s Walk-Off Homer in 11th Inning Clinches Series for Wolfpack

Saturday, May 4

Raleigh, N.C.

1 PM

NC State

28-26, 8-15

Louisville

33-19, 12-11

Louisville

NC State

Visser’s Walk-Off Homer in 11th Inning Clinches Series for Wolfpack

5/4/2019 5:31:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

NC State secures an ACC Tournament berth for the first time since the 2017 season

RALEIGH, N.C. – April Visser's walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning ended NC State softball's extra-innings thriller against Louisville as the Wolfpack (28-27, 8-15 ACC) took a 7-6 decision over the Cardinals (33-19, 12-11 ACC) Saturday afternoon at Dail Stadium.

With the victory, NC State secured its third ACC series win of the season and clinched a spot in next week's ACC Tournament, which will be played in Tallahassee, Fla.

OF NOTE:
- After her leadoff single in the first inning, Sam Russ stole second base to pick up her 28th steal of the year and to take sole ownership of first in program history in single-season steals. The sophomore went on to add to that tally in the bottom of the fourth inning with her 29th stolen bag. She is now 29-of-30 in stolen base attempts on the year.

- Kama Woodall entered the game with one gone for Louisville in the top of the ninth and went on to pick up her second win of the season. She gave up just one hit in the final 2.2 innings of the game and struck out four while also not surrendering a walk. Woodall retired the last seven batters she faced, including a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the top of the 10th and 11th frames to close out the game.
- Logan Morris and April Visser's home runs were the 62nd and 63rd on the season for the Wolfpack. Since hitting her first home run in conference play in the Pack's series finale against Notre Dame on April 13, Visser has gone on to send a total of seven long balls out of the park in NC State's last 12 games.
- Three members of the Wolfpack squad tallied multi-RBI performances on the day as Morris drove in three and Visser and Skylar Johnston each batted in a pair of runs.
- Russ's fourth multi-hit game in a row came in impressive fashion as she collected three hits in four appearances at the plate. Her three hits tied her career high which she has reached on three occasions in the past two weeks of conference play.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
- NC State once again jumped out to an early lead by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning.
- Russ led off the game with a single to second base and stole second to move into scoring position before Visser sent a double to the right corner of the outfield to score her.
- Visser went on to secure a steal of her own as she took third base, which is where she was when Morris stepped up to the plate and homered to left field to bat in the pair of runs and extend the Wolfpack's lead.
- A solo home run by Megan Hensley put Louisville on the board in the top of the fourth inning, and the Cardinals tied things up in the top of the sixth with another homer, this time a two-RBI long ball from Rebecca Chung that scored her and Hensley, who reached first on a leadoff walk.
- After a scoreless seventh inning, the game extended into extra innings. The teams also went scoreless in the eighth inning before combining for six runs in the ninth.
- The Cardinals took a three-run lead off of four hits in the top of the ninth. They led off the inning with three singles in a row, and a sacrifice fly out to left field batted in Maddy Newman.
- The sac fly put Celene Funke on third and Sidney Melton on first. Melton stole second to move into scoring position, and Kyra Snyder's single through the left side scored both of them to put Louisville up 6-3 headed to the bottom of the frame.
- In the bottom of the ninth, the Wolfpack took advantage of a hit-by-pitch and two walks to load up the bases with one out. Morris collected her third RBI of the outing as she drew the bases-loaded walk to plate Chandley Garner.
- Skylar Johnston sent a bullet down the left field line, still with the bases loaded, and that scored Visser and Russ to knot the score at six through nine innings.
- NC State threatened in the bottom of the 10th inning, but it was the Wolfpack half of the 11th frame where the game ended as Visser stepped up to hit her eighth home run of the season for the walk-off score.

Walked this one off, and we are ACC TOURNAMENT BOUND with today's W!#GoPack pic.twitter.com/ydRjjFfiKK
— PackSoftball🥎 (@PackSoftball) May 4, 2019

ON DECK:
NC State will wrap up its series and its regular season with a final game against Louisville on Sunday. First pitch is set for 12 p.m., and the contest will be broadcast live on the ACC Network Extra. The game will be Senior Day as the Wolfpack will honor its senior class prior to first pitch.