#Pack9 Pitching Shines in Wolfpack’s Series-Clinching Win at Notre Dame

Saturday, May 6

South Bend, Ind.

2 p.m.

NC State

31-15, 10-13

Notre Dame

26-19, 14-13

NC State

Notre Dame

#Pack9 Pitching Shines in Wolfpack’s Series-Clinching Win at Notre Dame

5/6/2023 5:22:00 PM | Baseball

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Wolfpack Posts First Series Victory at Notre Dame in Program History

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The NC State baseball team secured a series victory at Notre Dame with a 6-1 victory on Saturday afternoon at Frank Eck Stadium.

With the win, NC State (31-15, 10-13 ACC) recorded its first road series victory at Notre Dame in program history and tallied its first road ACC series victory of the season. The Wolfpack limited the Fighting Irish to just two runs over the final two games of the series, outscoring Notre Dame 11-2 in games two and three of the series.

After Notre Dame (26-19, 14-13 ACC) struck first behind Zack Prajzner's solo homer in the first, the Wolfpack answered with three runs in the top of the second to take a 3-1 lead. NC State did not trail following its three-run frame in the second, scoring the game's final six runs of the afternoon.

NC State scored all three of its runs in the second with two outs in the inning. Eli Serrano III ignited the rally with a double to right center before Payton Green sliced a ground-rule double over the wall in right center, tying the score at 1-1.

Kalae Harrison then put the Wolfpack in the lead for good with a two-out, two-run homer to left field, driving an 0-1 pitch to opposite field for his second home run of the season.

Sam Highfill settled in following the Pack's three-spot in the top of the second, posting four straight scoreless innings to close out his first weekend start of the season. Highfill faced the minimum in the second and fourth innings, tossing a season-high five innings on a season-high 89 pitches.

Highfill (5-1) recorded his fifth win of the season after scattering just three hits with four strikeouts over five innings. The right-hander allowed just one extra-base hit in his second start of the season.

The Wolfpack extended its lead to 5-1 behind a single run scored in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively. Noah Soles opened the fifth inning with a single before the Pack successfully executed a hit-and-run when LuJames Groover III smacked a ground ball through the right side of the infield for a single. With runners at first and third, Cannon Peebles drove a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 4-1.

Back-to-back doubles from Will Marcy and Trevor Candelaria extended the Pack's lead to 5-1 in the top of the sixth inning.

Green's strong day at the plate continued in the top of the ninth when he crushed a 420-foot solo home run off the batter's eye in center field, extending the Pack's lead to its final margin at 6-1.

Dominic Fritton closed out the final four innings to record his second save of the season, tossing four scoreless frames with two strikeouts. Fritton scattered just two hits as the Pack's two pitchers combined to limit Notre Dame to just five hits on the afternoon. Fritton and Highfill also allowed just one extra-base hit in Saturday's series-clinching victory.

Green and Groover III paced the Wolfpack with two hits apiece. Green's two RBI and two runs scored both ranked as a team-high.

NC State recorded its 10^th comeback win of the season after overcoming its early 1-0 deficit to the Fighting Irish. Caden Spivey (3-1) suffered his first pitching defeat of the season for Notre Dame.

UP NEXT
NC State returns to Raleigh for its final midweek game of the 2023 season on Tuesday. The Wolfpack hosts Richmond at 6 p.m. on Tuesday night. The game will stream live on ACC Network Extra.

#Pack9 | @NCStateBaseball