#14 Wolfpack Sweeps Friday Doubleheader Against Boston College

Friday, March 8

Raleigh, N.C.

3 p.m.

NC State

10-2, 1-0

Boston College

7-4, 0-1

Boston College

NC State

#14 Wolfpack Sweeps Friday Doubleheader Against Boston College

3/8/2024 11:23:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score (Game 1)Box Score (Game 2)

Pack Extends Winning Streak to Eight Games, Opens ACC Play 2-0

RALEIGH, N.C. – The No. 14 NC State baseball team extended its winning streak to eight games with a doubleheader sweep of Boston College (7-5, 0-2 ACC) on Friday, opening Atlantic Coast Conference play 2-0 behind its pair of victories at Doak Field.

The Wolfpack (11-2, 2-0 ACC) walked it off in 11 innings behind Garrett Pennington's game-winning single in game one before shutting down the Eagles' offense in a 9-1 victory in game two.

Game 1: NC State 5, Boston College 4 (11 innings)
Garrett Pennington delivered a walk-off single to center field to lift the Wolfpack to a 5-4 victory in game one of Friday's doubleheader. Noah Soles tripled down the right-field line before Pennington recorded the game-winning hit two batters later, dropping in a sinking line drive to shallow center field with two outs.

NC State built a 4-0 lead with four runs in the bottom of the third inning. Pennington doubled down the right-field line before Alec Makrewicz crushed his team-high sixth home run of the year to dead center. Makarewicz's three-run shot stretched the Pack's lead to 4-0.

Wolfpack starting pitcher Logan Whitaker cruised through his first five innings on the mound, tying his career-high of eight strikeouts with back-to-back punchouts to cap off a 1-2-3 frame. Whitaker then set a new career-high with his ninth strikeout in the sixth.

Boston College chased Whitaker from the game when Kyle Wolff drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. The Eagles then plated three runs with two outs, recording back-to-back RBI singles to trim the Pack's lead to 4-3.

The Eagles tied the score at 4-4 in the top of the eighth inning behind Patrick Roche's RBI single. Wolfpack reliever Jacob Dudan entered the game with one out and the bases loaded later in the eighth and used a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

Dudan shined in his extended relief appearance, pitching a career-high 3.2 innings with a career-high four strikeouts to keep Boston College off the scoreboard. Dudan did not allow a hit and improved to 2-0 on the season after pitching through the 11^th inning.

Four members of Pack tallied multi-hit performances to open ACC action – Soles, Eli Serrano III, Pennington and Jacob Cozart. Makarewicz's three-run homer helped him extend his team-lead in RBI to 27 on the season.

Game 2: NC State 9, Boston College 1
A seven-run sixth inning broke a 1-1 tie and helped the Wolfpack complete Friday's doubleheader sweep over Boston College. A dropped fly ball with one out in the inning sparked the Pack's breakout frame as NC State logged four straight hits to make it 4-1.

After Brandon Butterworth's walk reloaded the bases, Luke Nixon doubled down the right-field line to extend the Pack's lead to 6-1. Luke's pinch-hit, two-RBI base hit scored Josh Hogue from third and older brother Chase Nixon from second. Pennington's two-RBI single capped off the seven-run inning to make it 8-1.

Luke Nixon extended the score to its final margin with an RBI single to center field in the seventh inning.

The Wolfpack struck first in both games on Friday as Pennington lined an RBI single to left field in the bottom of the first. Boston College third baseman Nick Wang tied the score in the top of the third with the Eagles' only run of the game, smacking a homer to left field to tie the score at 1-1.

Wolfpack starting pitcher Sam Highfill limited the Eagles to just two hits and one run with seven strikeouts over 4.2 innings. Reliever Hollis Fanning not only earned his first win at NC State, but he also earned his first-collegiate victory after tossing 2.2 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit with a pair of strikeouts.

Southpaw P.J. Labriola recorded the final five outs for the Wolfpack, striking out two Eagles while allowing just one hit.

Pennington paced the Pack with a 3-for-5 evening at the plate, tying with Luke Nixon for a team-high three RBI on the night.

UP NEXT
NC State concludes this weekend's series against Boston College on Sunday at 11 a.m. The Wolfpack will not play on Saturday. Sunday's game will stream live on ACC Network Extra.