No matter how bad a loss is, it only counts for one. The key is bouncing back quickly, and not letting a bad loss beat you more than once. That’s a test NC State passed with flying colors in game two of the Fayetteville Super Regional Saturday, bouncing back from Friday’s blowout loss to stave off elimination and force a rubber match with a 6-5 win.
The Wolfpack got it done against the Razorbacks thanks to a great start from Sam Highfill, gutsy close from Evan Justice and home runs from Jose Torres, Luca Tresh and Vojtech Mensik.
Here’s a few key takeaways from the win:
Highfill’s stellar start
After Reid Johnston went just three innings in Friday’s game, the Pack desperately needed a strong outing from Highfill Saturday, and the freshman more than delivered in the biggest start of his career.
Highfill started the game strong with a 1-2-3 first inning. Similar to Johnston, however, he got into trouble in the second, issuing a walk to Bradley Slavens before Charlie Welch gave the Razorbacks a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer.
At that point, there could have been a sense of “here we go again” for NC State. But Highfill locked in, bounced back and retired the next three batters to end the inning… and the next 13 after that too.
Highfill absolutely cruised through the middle innings, throwing four straight three-up, three-down innings in the third through sixth and retiring 16 straight batters into the top of the seventh before losing some steam and giving way to Justice. Arkansas batters credited Highfill’s ability to change arm slots into his sidearm delivery for keeping them off balance as well.
Highfill commanded his fastball and slider throughout the game, throwing 64 of his 96 pitches for strikes while also pitching to contact.
Overall, Highfill allowed three runs on just two hits (though both of those did leave the yard) while striking out five and walking two in 6.1 innings, turning in a stellar performance in just his second NCAA Tournament game.
Bombs away in the bottom of the fourth
After manufacturing a run with some small ball to cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the third, NC State let its power bats go to work in the bottom of the fourth, with three home runs. The Pack gave the Razorbacks, who homered four times in Friday’s blowout, a taste of their own medicine.
After Terrell Tatum led off the inning with a single, Torres left the yard for the second time in two games, with a two-run wall scraper to left giving NC State the lead at 3-2. Tresh then launched a solo shot to left to extend the Wolfpack’s lead to 4-2 on back-to-back jacks.
After Devonte Brown grounded out to break the streak, Mensik went back to the Pack’s fourth--inning big-fly ways, driving out a solo homer to center to make it 5-2.
This is a team that has shown all year it can score runs in a variety of ways. On Saturday, it was the power hitting of this lineup that gave the Pack the big inning it so desperately needed.
Justice slams the door after near disaster in the seventh
An insurance run via more small ball in the bottom of the sixth proved pivotal as the Razorbacks cut NC State’s lead to one in the top of the seventh. After Highfill surrendered a solo shot to Slavens and issues a one-out walk, Avent elected to go to Evan Justice.
Justice induced a pop-up for the first out, and appeared to have the second on a grounder, but Torres committed a very uncharacteristic error, throwing wide to first when he had an easy flip to second, allowing a run to score. Justice then gave up a single up the middle to make it a 6-5 game.
The Pack’s closer struck out Christian Franklin to end the threat and keep the Pack in the lead, but what had been a comfortable NC State lead was now headed for a nailbiter.
After the seventh, Justice was lights out for NC State, and had to be with Kevin Kopps on the other side. He attacked Arkansas’ lineup with his fastball, touching 97 miles per hour, and threw two clean innings in the eighth and ninth as he retired the last seven batters he faced and struck out four to send the Pack to a decisive game three.
Pack forces game three
There’s been no quit in this team all season. Not after a 4-9 start to the regular season. Not facing an early 4-0 deficit against Louisiana Tech in the Ruston Regional final last weekend. And not after dropping the opener of this Super Regional in a 21-2 laugher.
The Wolfpack will have a chance to play for its first trip to the College World Series since 2013 tomorrow, as the victor in the winner-take-all game three will head to Omaha.
