Saturday, March 18
Raleigh, N.C.
2 p.m.
NC State
15-5, 2-4
5
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Virginia
17-2, 4-2
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Virginia
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NC State
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12
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Photo by: Jaylynn Nash
No. 23 Wolfpack Walks Off No. 14 Virginia in Series Finale
3/18/2023 6:21:00 PM | Baseball
NC State Scored Three in the Ninth in the 5-4 Comeback Victory
RALEIGH – The comeback Pack struck again Saturday afternoon at Doak Field at Dail Park as Cannon Peebles' two-RBI single lifted the NC State baseball team to a 5-4 comeback victory over No. 14 Virginia.
NC State (15-5, 2-4 ACC) entered the top of the ninth with a 2-1 lead before Virginia (17-2, 4-2 ACC) scored three runs behind a pair of home runs to take a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
Chase Nixon, who earned his first start of the season Saturday, doubled to right center with one out in the ninth inning to ignite the Wolfpack rally. After Virginia reliever Jake Berry retired the second out of the inning, leadoff batter Kalae Harrison singled up the middle on a 2-2 count to keep the Pack alive and score Nixon from second base, trimming the Pack's deficit to 4-3.
LuJames Groover III then singled to center field to put the tying run at second base before Jacob Cozart worked a five-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs. Michael Gupton entered as a pinch runner for Groover III after Groover III's two-out single, moving up 90 feet when Cozart earned a free pass to first base.
Peebles then walked it off for the Wolfpack on the first pitch of his at-bat, singling up the middle past the diving reach of Virginia shortstop Griff O'Ferrall to bring home Harrison from third and Gupton from second. Gupton slid headfirst into home plate to move the Pack to 5-0 in weekend series' finales to open the 2023 season.
Virginia scored first in Saturday's game when Jake Gelof tripled down the right-field line in the opening inning, scoring Ethan O'Donnell from second base after the Virginia centerfielder singled and stole second with one out in the inning.
The Wolfpack struck back behind a pair of solo homers in the bottom of the second inning when Eli Serrano III and Nixon each homered on the second pitch of their respective at-bats. Serrano III tied the game at 1-1 with a one-out home run to opposite field, smacking his third home run of the season into the Virginia bullpen. Nixon then stepped to the plate with two outs and belted his first home run of the season to right field to make it 2-1 Wolfpack.
Freshman left-hander Dominic Fritton provided another outstanding outing for the Wolfpack on Saturday, pitching 5.2 innings while allowing just one run with five strikeouts. Fritton scattered only three hits and allowed only one walk in his first home start against an ACC opponent.
NC State starting pitchers exceled in this weekend's series against Virginia, combining to pitch 18 innings while allowing just 10 hits and four runs (just two earned). Wolfpack starting pitchers struck out 19 batters and allowed just five walks throughout the weekend. No NC State starting pitcher allowed more than four hits in their respective outings against the Cavaliers.
The Wolfpack defense helped Fritton face the minimum in the top of the fourth behind a 6-5-3 double play when Kyle Teel grounded into the shift to retire two Cavaliers in the inning. Teel's grounder found the glove of shortstop Payton Green, who flipped to Groover III before the Wolfpack third baseman fired to first base for the double play.
Sam Highfill provided another dominant outing out of the bullpen against the Cavaliers, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings without allowing a hit. Highfill pitched 5.2 hitless innings against Virginia this weekend over two appearances.
Baker Nelson (4-1) earned the pitching victory after recording the final two outs in the comeback win. Nelson struck out both the batters he faced before the Pack's late-game heroics in the bottom of the ninth.
The Pack handed Berry his first loss of the season on Saturday, dropping the left-hander to 0-1 on the year. Berry entered Saturday's game with a 0.00 ERA and had allowed just one unearned run over 16.1 innings this entire season before the Pack smacked six hits and drew two walks to score three runs off Berry in the bottom of the ninth.
Four NC State hitters recorded multi-hit performances – Groover III (three), Harrison (three), Serrano III (two) and Nixon (two). Groover III (.417) and Serrano III (.400) each batted .400 or higher in the series against the Cavaliers.
UP NEXT
The Wolfpack heads to Wilmington for a midweek matchup at UNCW on Tuesday night. Tuesday night's first pitch is set for 6 p.m. and will be streamed live on FloBaseball.
#Pack9 | @NCStateBaseball
NC State (15-5, 2-4 ACC) entered the top of the ninth with a 2-1 lead before Virginia (17-2, 4-2 ACC) scored three runs behind a pair of home runs to take a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
Chase Nixon, who earned his first start of the season Saturday, doubled to right center with one out in the ninth inning to ignite the Wolfpack rally. After Virginia reliever Jake Berry retired the second out of the inning, leadoff batter Kalae Harrison singled up the middle on a 2-2 count to keep the Pack alive and score Nixon from second base, trimming the Pack's deficit to 4-3.
LuJames Groover III then singled to center field to put the tying run at second base before Jacob Cozart worked a five-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs. Michael Gupton entered as a pinch runner for Groover III after Groover III's two-out single, moving up 90 feet when Cozart earned a free pass to first base.
Peebles then walked it off for the Wolfpack on the first pitch of his at-bat, singling up the middle past the diving reach of Virginia shortstop Griff O'Ferrall to bring home Harrison from third and Gupton from second. Gupton slid headfirst into home plate to move the Pack to 5-0 in weekend series' finales to open the 2023 season.
Virginia scored first in Saturday's game when Jake Gelof tripled down the right-field line in the opening inning, scoring Ethan O'Donnell from second base after the Virginia centerfielder singled and stole second with one out in the inning.
The Wolfpack struck back behind a pair of solo homers in the bottom of the second inning when Eli Serrano III and Nixon each homered on the second pitch of their respective at-bats. Serrano III tied the game at 1-1 with a one-out home run to opposite field, smacking his third home run of the season into the Virginia bullpen. Nixon then stepped to the plate with two outs and belted his first home run of the season to right field to make it 2-1 Wolfpack.
Freshman left-hander Dominic Fritton provided another outstanding outing for the Wolfpack on Saturday, pitching 5.2 innings while allowing just one run with five strikeouts. Fritton scattered only three hits and allowed only one walk in his first home start against an ACC opponent.
NC State starting pitchers exceled in this weekend's series against Virginia, combining to pitch 18 innings while allowing just 10 hits and four runs (just two earned). Wolfpack starting pitchers struck out 19 batters and allowed just five walks throughout the weekend. No NC State starting pitcher allowed more than four hits in their respective outings against the Cavaliers.
The Wolfpack defense helped Fritton face the minimum in the top of the fourth behind a 6-5-3 double play when Kyle Teel grounded into the shift to retire two Cavaliers in the inning. Teel's grounder found the glove of shortstop Payton Green, who flipped to Groover III before the Wolfpack third baseman fired to first base for the double play.
Sam Highfill provided another dominant outing out of the bullpen against the Cavaliers, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings without allowing a hit. Highfill pitched 5.2 hitless innings against Virginia this weekend over two appearances.
Baker Nelson (4-1) earned the pitching victory after recording the final two outs in the comeback win. Nelson struck out both the batters he faced before the Pack's late-game heroics in the bottom of the ninth.
The Pack handed Berry his first loss of the season on Saturday, dropping the left-hander to 0-1 on the year. Berry entered Saturday's game with a 0.00 ERA and had allowed just one unearned run over 16.1 innings this entire season before the Pack smacked six hits and drew two walks to score three runs off Berry in the bottom of the ninth.
Four NC State hitters recorded multi-hit performances – Groover III (three), Harrison (three), Serrano III (two) and Nixon (two). Groover III (.417) and Serrano III (.400) each batted .400 or higher in the series against the Cavaliers.
UP NEXT
The Wolfpack heads to Wilmington for a midweek matchup at UNCW on Tuesday night. Tuesday night's first pitch is set for 6 p.m. and will be streamed live on FloBaseball.
#Pack9 | @NCStateBaseball
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Nelson, Baker (4-1)
L: Jake Berry (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Griff O'Ferrall 1
3B: Jake Gelof 1
HR: Jake Gelof 1 ; Kyle Teel 1
RBI: Jake Gelof 3 ; Kyle Teel 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Griff O'Ferrall 1 ; Ethan O'Donnell 1 ; Jake Gelof 1 ; Kyle Teel 1
SB: Ethan O'Donnell 1
Batting:
2B: Cozart, Jacob 1 ; Nixon, Chase 1
HR: Serrano III, Eli 1 ; Nixon, Chase 1
RBI: Harrison, Kalae 1 ; Peebles, Cannon 2 ; Serrano III, Eli 1 ; Nixon, Chase 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Harrison, Kalae 1 ; Gupton, Michael 1 ; Serrano III, Eli 1 ; Nixon, Chase 2
HBP: Cozart, Jacob 1
PO: Serrano III, Eli 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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