Friday, February 21
Raleigh, N.C.
3:15 PM
NC State
7-4
9
vs
4
Bucknell
6-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Bucknell
0
1
0
0
2
1
0
4
4
2
NC State
0
0
2
0
3
4
X
9
11
1
Sack Homers Three Times in Pair of NC State Wins
2/21/2020 9:32:00 PM | Softball
RALEIGH – Sam Sack homered three times in the pair of NC State softball wins Friday evening to kick off the Fairfield Crabtree Invitational at Dail Softball Stadium. Sack hit two in the first game of the day where NC State (8-4) defeated Bucknell 9-4 before hitting one more in a 7-2 takedown of Saint Joseph's. Sack is the first NC State batter to record a multi-home run game this season. In addition to Sack, NC State had four additional batters record multi-hit games.
"Sack has been working on some things and really working hard to get those adjustments into the game against live pitching," said head coach Jennifer Patrick-Swift. "It's paying off, so its great. She's solid every game behind the plate so I'm just happy her hard work offensively is coming around as well."
Against Bucknell, Tatyana Forbes went 3-for-4 with two RBIs while Skylar Johnston was 2-for-2 as a pinch hitter, including a pinch-hit home run. In the second game of the day, Angie Rizzi had a 3-for-4 performance while freshman Sam Gress went 2-for-4. Gress had the first hit of her collegiate career against Bucknell before a pair of two-out, RBI singles in the later game.
It was two solid outings in the circle for the NC State pitching staff with both Sydney Nester and Devin Wallace pitching complete games as they both move to 4-2 on the season. Nester took the win against Bucknell, allowing four runs on four hits with eight strikeouts. Wallace gave up just two runs, one earned, to the Hawks with five hits and seven strikeouts.
BUCKNELL RECAP
Bucknell (6-5) and NC State notched two home runs apiece to open the game, tying it at 3-3 through five innings. Sack hit the Pack's first of the day before Johnston pinch hit for second baseman April Visser in the fifth inning, tying the ball game with a solo home run.
With the game tied, 3-3, Sam Russ singled to the pitcher before stealing second. A single and stolen base by Forbes, put runners on second and third. Logan Morris forced a Bucknell fielding error, allowing both Russ and Forbes to score for the go-ahead runs.
The Bison would put one more run on the board with a solo homer before NC State scored four unanswered runs to end the game. Carson Shaner pinch hit to lead off the sixth hitting, rocketing her first home run of the season over the right field fence. Sack followed that up with her second of the game before a two-RBI double from Forbes rounded out the scoring.
SAINT JOSEPH'S RECAP
Once again the NC State offense shown against Saint Joseph's, tallying a total of 11 hits. Sack kicked off the scoring in the second with a solo home run to take a 1-0 lead that NC State would never relinquish.
Russ led off the third inning with a walk and eventually scored following a single from Rizzi and Saint Joseph's throwing error. Two-consecutive walks to Randi Farricker and Johnston would load the bases setting up a two-RBI single from Gress.
The only blemish on the day for Wallace came in the fourth inning, where the Hawks recorded two runs. The team's leadoff batter reached on an error before back-to-back hits scored the runs. The Pack earned both runs back in the bottom of the fourth on Rizzi's two-run home run and another RBI from Gress.
OF NOTE
UP NEXT
NC State continues the weekend tournament with games against Indiana and Saint Joseph's on Saturday, Feb. 22.
"Sack has been working on some things and really working hard to get those adjustments into the game against live pitching," said head coach Jennifer Patrick-Swift. "It's paying off, so its great. She's solid every game behind the plate so I'm just happy her hard work offensively is coming around as well."
Against Bucknell, Tatyana Forbes went 3-for-4 with two RBIs while Skylar Johnston was 2-for-2 as a pinch hitter, including a pinch-hit home run. In the second game of the day, Angie Rizzi had a 3-for-4 performance while freshman Sam Gress went 2-for-4. Gress had the first hit of her collegiate career against Bucknell before a pair of two-out, RBI singles in the later game.
It was two solid outings in the circle for the NC State pitching staff with both Sydney Nester and Devin Wallace pitching complete games as they both move to 4-2 on the season. Nester took the win against Bucknell, allowing four runs on four hits with eight strikeouts. Wallace gave up just two runs, one earned, to the Hawks with five hits and seven strikeouts.
BUCKNELL RECAP
Bucknell (6-5) and NC State notched two home runs apiece to open the game, tying it at 3-3 through five innings. Sack hit the Pack's first of the day before Johnston pinch hit for second baseman April Visser in the fifth inning, tying the ball game with a solo home run.
With the game tied, 3-3, Sam Russ singled to the pitcher before stealing second. A single and stolen base by Forbes, put runners on second and third. Logan Morris forced a Bucknell fielding error, allowing both Russ and Forbes to score for the go-ahead runs.
The Bison would put one more run on the board with a solo homer before NC State scored four unanswered runs to end the game. Carson Shaner pinch hit to lead off the sixth hitting, rocketing her first home run of the season over the right field fence. Sack followed that up with her second of the game before a two-RBI double from Forbes rounded out the scoring.
SAINT JOSEPH'S RECAP
Once again the NC State offense shown against Saint Joseph's, tallying a total of 11 hits. Sack kicked off the scoring in the second with a solo home run to take a 1-0 lead that NC State would never relinquish.
Russ led off the third inning with a walk and eventually scored following a single from Rizzi and Saint Joseph's throwing error. Two-consecutive walks to Randi Farricker and Johnston would load the bases setting up a two-RBI single from Gress.
The only blemish on the day for Wallace came in the fourth inning, where the Hawks recorded two runs. The team's leadoff batter reached on an error before back-to-back hits scored the runs. The Pack earned both runs back in the bottom of the fourth on Rizzi's two-run home run and another RBI from Gress.
OF NOTE
- NC State's four home runs against Bucknell marked the second-straight game for the Wolfpack with four homers after also doing so last Wednesday against Elon.
- The Wolfpack remain undefeated when hitting a home run, 8-0. The Pack has hit multiple home runs in a total of four games.
- It was the first home run of the season for Sack, Johnston and Shaner.
- NC State is 7-1 when scoring five or more runs with its lone loss coming in a 13-7 game against then-#7 Minnesota.
- NC State has nine batters with at least one home run this season, led by Sack and Morris who each have three.
UP NEXT
NC State continues the weekend tournament with games against Indiana and Saint Joseph's on Saturday, Feb. 22.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Nester, Sydney (4-2)
L: Geffert, Raeanne (4-4)
Batting:
HR: Wolfgang, Taylor 1 ; Rivait, Nicole 1 ; Mariano, Halie 1
RBI: Wolfgang, Taylor 1 ; Rivait, Nicole 1 ; Mariano, Halie 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Wolfgang, Taylor 1 ; Rivait, Nicole 1 ; Lorberter, Kailyn 1 ; Mariano, Halie 1
CS: Volpe, Allyse 1
Batting:
2B: Forbes, Tatyana 1
HR: Shaner, Carson 1 ; Sack, Sam 2 ; Johnston, Skylar 1
RBI: Forbes, Tatyana 2 ; Shaner, Carson 1 ; Sack, Sam 3 ; Johnston, Skylar 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Russ, Sam 2 ; Forbes, Tatyana 1 ; Shaner, Carson 1 ; Gress, Sam 1 ; Sack, Sam 2 ; Visser, April 1 ; Johnston, Skylar 1
SB: Russ, Sam 1 ; Forbes, Tatyana 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
ph/1b
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
IF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
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