Softball Secures Best Start in Program History

Sunday, February 23

Raleigh, N.C.

12:30 PM

NC State

11-4

Bucknell

6-7

Bucknell

NC State

2/23/2020 4:44:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

RALEIGH – With a 5-0 weekend, the NC State softball team secured the best 15-game start in program history with an 11-4 record. The Wolfpack defeated Bucknell, 2-1, Sunday afternoon to conclude the Fairfield Crabtree Invitational with a perfect record. NC State's record currently places them third in the ACC.

Sydney Nester picked up her sixth win of the season, pitching 6.0 innings where she allowed just one run on four hits with nine strikeouts. Senior Devin Wallace earned her first save of the season after entering in the seventh inning and pitching around a pair of Bucknell base runners.

"I'm really proud of the team," said head coach Jennifer Patrick-Swift. "They showed up and defended their home field. Every game we come out and expect to win. We swung big bats and pitchers threw really well over the weekend…it was a really solid weekend."

Tatyana Forbes recorded her third-consecutive multi-hit game, and 11^th of the season. The senior entered the weekend leading the ACC in both batting average and hits.

Best 15-game start in PROGRAM HISTORY🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/ltVKAnWDrB
— PackSoftball🥎 (@PackSoftball) February 23, 2020

GAME RECAP
NC State put up a run early, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first off a sacrifice fly from Angie Rizzi. The Wolfpack were unable to get another hit through the next three innings, as Nester also held Bucknell without a hit.

With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Skylar Johnston entered as a pinch hitter, blasting a pinch-hit homerun for a 2-0 NC State lead. It was Johnston's second pinch hit, home run of the weekend after also doing so against Bucknell earlier in the weekend.

Bucknell ended the shutout bid in the the top of the sixth. The Bison loaded the bases after a lead off walk, hit by pitch and single. A second walk of the inning brought in Bucknell's first run of the day before Randi Farricker turned an inning-ending double play.

The Bison had one more opportunity in the top of the seventh, with back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. Wallace entered the game and was able to retire the only three batters she faced to clinch the win.

OF NOTE

The 11-4 record is the best start in program history, as NC State previously opened the season 10-5 twice in 2007 and 2005.
NC State's six-game win streak is tied with Virginia Tech for the best in the ACC.
The Wolfpack remain undefeated, 10-0, when hitting at least one home run.

UP NEXT
NC State hosts another red hot team in Duke for a midweek contest on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. Wednesday's matchup against the Blue Devils, who are currently 12-2, will not count as an ACC game.