Saturday, February 15
Raleigh, N.C.
12:30 PM
NC State
4-3
5
vs
3
Ohio State
3-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
NC State
0
0
0
0
1
0
4
5
8
0
Ohio State
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
3
6
3
Wolfpack Down Pair of Big Ten Opponents
2/16/2020 12:02:00 AM | Softball
RALEIGH – The NC State softball team picked up another pair of impressive wins in day two of the 2020 Big Ten/ACC Challenge, downing both Ohio State and Illinois. The Wolfpack took the weekend sweep over Ohio State with another 5-3 victory before defeating Illinois, 7-2. Both Ohio State and Illinois were receiving votes in last weeks top-25 polls.
Tatyana Forbes, who is now batting .556 on the season, went 4-for-6 with three runs scored, three RBIs and a triple. It was a big day all-around for the NC State offense as the team tallied 15 combined hits through the two games. Logan Morris had another impressive outing with a home-run, 3-RBI double and a total of five RBIs.
Devin Wallace pitched a spectacular game against Ohio State, going 6.2 innings with six hits allowed and three runs. Wallace (2-1) gave up no walks and struck out a season-high seven before Sydney Nester took the final out, picking up her first save of the season.
Nester (3-2) took the start in the circle against Illinois, pitching six innings with five hits and two runs allowed. She totaled seven strikeouts, one shy of her season high.
OHIO STATE RECAP
Wallace retired 16 of the first 17 batters she faced, with the lone hit being Nicholson's solo home run for a 1-0 Ohio State lead. Russ smacked a one-out single to left field in the top of the fifth before stealing second and advancing to third on a Buckeye throwing error. Forbes, who is hitting .600 this season with runners in scoring position, tied the game with a single to left field that scored Russ.
With Ohio State batting as the home team, the Buckeyes second home run of the day put NC State down, 2-1, entering the top of the seventh. Libby Whittaker took her first collegiate at bat, pinch hitting for Sam Sack. Whittaker was hit by a pitch, with Kelsey O'Connor then entering the game as a pinch runner.
Down to its last two outs, the top of the lineup delivered once again for the Wolfpack. An RBI-single from Sam Russ tied the game before Forbes notched her second triple of the season which gave NC State its first lead of the game, 3-2. For the second game in a row, Logan Morris delivered what would be the game winner, with a two-run homer.
Ohio State tacked on three hits, including an RBI-double, to pull back within three, but couldn't tack on any additional runs as Nester retired the final batter.
ILLINOIS RECAP
After giving up a two-out home run in the top of the first inning to Illinois, the Wolfpack offense bounced back thanks to Sam Russ. On the first pitch of her at bat, Russ hit a home run over the center field fence for her first homer of the season. Forbes drew a walk in the two spot, before Randi Farricker doubled to left field for an NC State lead they would not relinquish.
The Wolfpack tacked on another run off the bat of Sam Russ in the bottom of the second, this time an RBI-double to center field that scored Carson Shaner from first.
The offense kept rolling as Angie Rizzi laid down a bunt single for Illinois before stealing both second and third base. After Skylar Johnston drew a walk, Illinois intentionally walked Russ with two outs to load the bases. A tough play at first yielded a single for Forbes, tacking on another run, before Morris cleared the bases with a double for the 7-1 lead.
Illinois threatned in both the sixth and seventh innings after Delaney Rummell hit her second solo shot of the day. Freshman Sam Gress closed out the game for NC State in the circle, pitching the seventh inning where Avrey Steiner reached third base on a pop up and wild pitch, following her infield single. Gress induced a game-ending fly out to right field.
OF NOTE
UP NEXT
NC State concludes the Big 10/ACC Challenge with its final game Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m.
Tatyana Forbes, who is now batting .556 on the season, went 4-for-6 with three runs scored, three RBIs and a triple. It was a big day all-around for the NC State offense as the team tallied 15 combined hits through the two games. Logan Morris had another impressive outing with a home-run, 3-RBI double and a total of five RBIs.
Devin Wallace pitched a spectacular game against Ohio State, going 6.2 innings with six hits allowed and three runs. Wallace (2-1) gave up no walks and struck out a season-high seven before Sydney Nester took the final out, picking up her first save of the season.
Nester (3-2) took the start in the circle against Illinois, pitching six innings with five hits and two runs allowed. She totaled seven strikeouts, one shy of her season high.
OHIO STATE RECAP
Wallace retired 16 of the first 17 batters she faced, with the lone hit being Nicholson's solo home run for a 1-0 Ohio State lead. Russ smacked a one-out single to left field in the top of the fifth before stealing second and advancing to third on a Buckeye throwing error. Forbes, who is hitting .600 this season with runners in scoring position, tied the game with a single to left field that scored Russ.
With Ohio State batting as the home team, the Buckeyes second home run of the day put NC State down, 2-1, entering the top of the seventh. Libby Whittaker took her first collegiate at bat, pinch hitting for Sam Sack. Whittaker was hit by a pitch, with Kelsey O'Connor then entering the game as a pinch runner.
Down to its last two outs, the top of the lineup delivered once again for the Wolfpack. An RBI-single from Sam Russ tied the game before Forbes notched her second triple of the season which gave NC State its first lead of the game, 3-2. For the second game in a row, Logan Morris delivered what would be the game winner, with a two-run homer.
Ohio State tacked on three hits, including an RBI-double, to pull back within three, but couldn't tack on any additional runs as Nester retired the final batter.
ILLINOIS RECAP
After giving up a two-out home run in the top of the first inning to Illinois, the Wolfpack offense bounced back thanks to Sam Russ. On the first pitch of her at bat, Russ hit a home run over the center field fence for her first homer of the season. Forbes drew a walk in the two spot, before Randi Farricker doubled to left field for an NC State lead they would not relinquish.
The Wolfpack tacked on another run off the bat of Sam Russ in the bottom of the second, this time an RBI-double to center field that scored Carson Shaner from first.
The offense kept rolling as Angie Rizzi laid down a bunt single for Illinois before stealing both second and third base. After Skylar Johnston drew a walk, Illinois intentionally walked Russ with two outs to load the bases. A tough play at first yielded a single for Forbes, tacking on another run, before Morris cleared the bases with a double for the 7-1 lead.
Illinois threatned in both the sixth and seventh innings after Delaney Rummell hit her second solo shot of the day. Freshman Sam Gress closed out the game for NC State in the circle, pitching the seventh inning where Avrey Steiner reached third base on a pop up and wild pitch, following her infield single. Gress induced a game-ending fly out to right field.
OF NOTE
- With her 26th career win in game one, Wallace is now in a tie for the fifth-most career wins at NC State.
- Forbes was 3-for-3 against the Buckeyes with two RBIs and a run scored. Sam Russ went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Forbes and Russ also stole two bases a piece.
- As a team, NC State has hit five home runs through its first three games at home.
- Saturday marked the first all-time meeting between NC State and Illinois, while the Wolfpack's two wins over the Buckeyes this weekend evened the all-time series to 4-4.
UP NEXT
NC State concludes the Big 10/ACC Challenge with its final game Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wallace, Devin (2-1)
L: Ross, Jessica (1-1)
S: Nester, Sydney (1)
Batting:
3B: Forbes, Tatyana 1
HR: Morris, Logan 1
RBI: Russ, Sam 1 ; Forbes, Tatyana 2 ; Morris, Logan 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Russ, Sam 2 ; Forbes, Tatyana 1 ; Morris, Logan 1 ; O'Connor, Kelsey 1
SB: Russ, Sam 2 ; Forbes, Tatyana 2
HBP: Whittaker, Libby 1
Batting:
2B: Nicholson, Claire 1
HR: Nicholson, Claire 1 ; Gaskill, Carley 1
RBI: Nicholson, Claire 2 ; Gaskill, Carley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Coffman, Kaitlyn 1 ; Nicholson, Claire 1 ; Gaskill, Carley 1
SB: Cortelletti, Tegan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF
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EmpowHER with Aisha Weixlmann #Shorts #NCState #GoPack
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