Heels outlast Pack

RALEIGH – In a back-and-forth game that saw a weather delay, NC State baseball (29-14, 11-10 ACC) came up short to North Carolina (26-17, 9-13 ACC) on Saturday afternoon in the series opener at Doak Field at Dail Park.

The teams managed to get through four innings on Friday night before having to suspend the game to Saturday afternoon due to inclement weather in the area. The contest featured five lead changes and two ties.

North Carolina got on the board in the first inning on Alberto Osuna’s RBI fielder’s choice after back-to-back outfield singles put runners in scoring position.

The Pack knotted the score at 1-1 in the third when Tommy White drove in Payton Green from third with a double to left field after he started the frame with a base hit, stole second and moved to third on an error.

The game was sent into a weather delay with one out in the fifth inning and the teams resumed play on Saturday afternoon, and the Heels managed to retake their lead on a Wolfpack miscue with the bases loaded.

NC State answered in the bottom frame when LuJames Groover III came up with the clutch two-run single after a hit-by-pitch, single and error put Jacob Cozart and Devonte Brown in scoring position, giving the Pack its first lead of the game at 3-2.

The score was once again knotted up at 3-3 in the sixth when Vance Honeycutt launched a solo shot over the right center wall, and then the Heels proceeded to plate four more runs on a three-run home run by Hunter Stokely and an RBI double by Tomas Frick.

The Pack battled back in its half of the sixth and brought three runs across to make it a one-run game at 7-6. Noah Soles and Green drew back-to-back one-out walks to start the side, and after a fielder’s choice put runners at the corners Soles crossed home plate on a wild pitch for the first run of the frame. An RBI single up the middle by Brown followed by a UNC error pushed the other two runs across.

Soles delivered the game-tying hit in the seventh to make it 7-7 with an RBI double off the left field wall, as he drove in J.T. Jarrett from first after he reached on a two-out single through the right side.

North Carolina managed to bring the go-ahead run across in the top of the ninth thanks to Mac Horvath’s sac fly to left field. Max Riemer drew a leadoff walk to start the inning, and after Reece Holbrook replaced him on the base paths a sac bunt and infield single allowed Holbrook to start the threat.

Brown led the team’s offense with a 3-for-5 outing, his third consecutive multi-hit game and fourth in five games. Additionally, White went 2-for-5 at the plate in his first game back after missing two due to injury.