Sunday, April 9
Winston-Salem, N.C.
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20-10, 5-8
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NC State
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Photo by: Mollie Mitchell
NC State Drops Sunday Doubleheader at No. 2 Wake Forest
4/9/2023 6:56:00 PM | Baseball
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The NC State baseball team (20-11, 5-9 ACC) dropped both games of Sunday's doubleheader at No. 2 Wake Forest at David F. Couch Ballpark. The Wolfpack fell 6-4 in game one before coming up just short in a 6-3 defeat in game two.
Wake Forest (28-4, 12-2 ACC) posted its fifth straight ACC series win with the doubleheader sweep on Sunday afternoon.
Game 1: No. 2 Wake Forest 6, NC State 4
Wake Forest recorded a 6-4 win in game one after scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, erasing a 4-3 deficit to take a 6-4 advantage into the final two innings.
NC State took its first lead of game one when Chase Nixon belted a monster three-run homer to right field on the first pitch of his at-bat in the fifth inning. The home run marked the first home run off Wake Forest ace Rhett Lowder the entire season, chasing the right-hander from the game with nobody out in the top of the fifth.
Wake Forest tied the game with a bases-loaded walk before scoring the go-ahead run on a passed ball. The Demon Deacons tallied their sixth and final run of the game when Justin Johnson lifted a sacrifice fly to left field.
The Wolfpack brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the top of the ninth after Kalae Harrison and LuJames Groover III both singled off Demon Deacon closer Camden Minacci. Minacci, however, induced a flyout to right field to end the game.
Wake Forest scored the first run of the ballgame in the bottom of the first when Pierce Bennett delivered a two-out RBI single to left field. NC State answered in its next team at-bat, stringing together a pair of two-out singles to knot the game at 1-1 in the top of the second.
Carter Trice kept the inning alive with a single to left field. He then stole second and advanced to third base on a throwing error from Demon Deacon catcher Bennett Lee. Harrison then singled through the left side to score Trice from third base and tie the game.
NC State drew a season-high three walks off Lowder, recording seven hits off Wake Forest's typical Friday night starter. Groover III paced all NC State hitters with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, reaching base four times with two singles, a double and a walk. Nixon's three-run homer helped him lead the Pack with three RBI in game one.
Seth Keener (4-0) earned the pitching victory for Wake Forest, while Sam Highfill (3-1) was handed his first loss of the season.
Game 2: No. 2 Wake Forest 6, NC State 3
Wake Forest struck first in game two with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Pierce Bennett drove home the first run with an RBI single before a passed ball and a wild pitch allowed the second and third runs to score for the Demon Deacons.
After a pair of zeroes in the fourth, NC State answered with three runs in the fifth to tie the score at 3-3. Back-to-back one-out singles from Payton Green and Parker Nolan ignited the rally before Kalae Harrison wore a 0-1 pitch to load the bases. Trevor Candelaria lifted a shallow fly ball to right field, reaching on an error to bring home Green for the Pack's first run.
LuJames Groover III and Jacob Cozart tied the game with two more singles, making it a 3-3 ballgame to chase Wake Forest starter Josh Hartle.
The Demon Deacons again pulled away in the bottom of the seventh inning when Bennett drove a double to right center, plating Lucas Costello to make it 4-3. Wake Forest stretched its lead to 6-3 on a dropped infield pop-up, allowing a pair of runs to score with two outs in the inning.
NC State brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth after Eli Serrano III and Nolan reached. Serrano III battled back from a 1-2 count to record a leadoff walk before Nolan delivered a one-out single, fouling off four pitches before singling to right field. Harrison then smoked a ball on the first pitch of his at-bat but unfortunately hit it right at shortstop Marek Houston, who flipped it to second baseman Justin Johnson for the final out of the game.
Groover III logged another multi-hit game in game two, while Nolan also recorded two hits in the setback.
Sean Sullivan (5-1) recorded the pitching victory, while Dominic Fritton (1-2) suffered the loss in Sunday's doubleheader finale.
UP NEXT
NC State returns to Raleigh for 12 of its next 13 games at Doak Field at Dail Park. NC State opens the home swing on Tuesday night against UNCW. First pitch at The Doak is set for 6 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ACC Network Extra.
#Pack9 | @NCStateBaseball
Wake Forest (28-4, 12-2 ACC) posted its fifth straight ACC series win with the doubleheader sweep on Sunday afternoon.
Game 1: No. 2 Wake Forest 6, NC State 4
Wake Forest recorded a 6-4 win in game one after scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, erasing a 4-3 deficit to take a 6-4 advantage into the final two innings.
NC State took its first lead of game one when Chase Nixon belted a monster three-run homer to right field on the first pitch of his at-bat in the fifth inning. The home run marked the first home run off Wake Forest ace Rhett Lowder the entire season, chasing the right-hander from the game with nobody out in the top of the fifth.
Wake Forest tied the game with a bases-loaded walk before scoring the go-ahead run on a passed ball. The Demon Deacons tallied their sixth and final run of the game when Justin Johnson lifted a sacrifice fly to left field.
The Wolfpack brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the top of the ninth after Kalae Harrison and LuJames Groover III both singled off Demon Deacon closer Camden Minacci. Minacci, however, induced a flyout to right field to end the game.
Wake Forest scored the first run of the ballgame in the bottom of the first when Pierce Bennett delivered a two-out RBI single to left field. NC State answered in its next team at-bat, stringing together a pair of two-out singles to knot the game at 1-1 in the top of the second.
Carter Trice kept the inning alive with a single to left field. He then stole second and advanced to third base on a throwing error from Demon Deacon catcher Bennett Lee. Harrison then singled through the left side to score Trice from third base and tie the game.
NC State drew a season-high three walks off Lowder, recording seven hits off Wake Forest's typical Friday night starter. Groover III paced all NC State hitters with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, reaching base four times with two singles, a double and a walk. Nixon's three-run homer helped him lead the Pack with three RBI in game one.
Seth Keener (4-0) earned the pitching victory for Wake Forest, while Sam Highfill (3-1) was handed his first loss of the season.
Game 2: No. 2 Wake Forest 6, NC State 3
Wake Forest struck first in game two with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Pierce Bennett drove home the first run with an RBI single before a passed ball and a wild pitch allowed the second and third runs to score for the Demon Deacons.
After a pair of zeroes in the fourth, NC State answered with three runs in the fifth to tie the score at 3-3. Back-to-back one-out singles from Payton Green and Parker Nolan ignited the rally before Kalae Harrison wore a 0-1 pitch to load the bases. Trevor Candelaria lifted a shallow fly ball to right field, reaching on an error to bring home Green for the Pack's first run.
LuJames Groover III and Jacob Cozart tied the game with two more singles, making it a 3-3 ballgame to chase Wake Forest starter Josh Hartle.
The Demon Deacons again pulled away in the bottom of the seventh inning when Bennett drove a double to right center, plating Lucas Costello to make it 4-3. Wake Forest stretched its lead to 6-3 on a dropped infield pop-up, allowing a pair of runs to score with two outs in the inning.
NC State brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth after Eli Serrano III and Nolan reached. Serrano III battled back from a 1-2 count to record a leadoff walk before Nolan delivered a one-out single, fouling off four pitches before singling to right field. Harrison then smoked a ball on the first pitch of his at-bat but unfortunately hit it right at shortstop Marek Houston, who flipped it to second baseman Justin Johnson for the final out of the game.
Groover III logged another multi-hit game in game two, while Nolan also recorded two hits in the setback.
Sean Sullivan (5-1) recorded the pitching victory, while Dominic Fritton (1-2) suffered the loss in Sunday's doubleheader finale.
UP NEXT
NC State returns to Raleigh for 12 of its next 13 games at Doak Field at Dail Park. NC State opens the home swing on Tuesday night against UNCW. First pitch at The Doak is set for 6 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ACC Network Extra.
#Pack9 | @NCStateBaseball
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sean Sullivan (5-1)
L: Fritton, Dominic (1-2)
Batting:
RBI: Groover III, LuJames 1 ; Cozart, Jacob 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Green, Payton 1 ; Nolan, Parker 1 ; Harrison, Kalae 1
HBP: Cozart, Jacob 1 ; Harrison, Kalae 1
Batting:
2B: Pierce Bennett 2
RBI: Pierce Bennett 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Tommy Hawke 1 ; Lucas Costello 2 ; Brock Wilken 2 ; Pierce Bennett 1
SB: Justin Johnson 1 ; Marek Houston 1
HBP: Brock Wilken 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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INF
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RHP/INF
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INF/OF
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OF
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