Lowder Muffles Wolfpack With Complete Game
NC State (33-18, 14-13 ACC) opened its final conference series of the regular season with a loss to Wake Forest (37-16-1, 13-14-1 ACC) Thursday evening at Doak Field, 8-2.
Demon Deacon starting pitcher Rhett Lowder (10-3, 2.41 ERA) hurled a complete game, allowing three singles and two solo home runs while striking out six Wolfpack batters on 90 pitches to pick up his 10th win of the season. Logan Whitaker (2-3, 3.58 ERA) earned the loss after allowing three runs on five hits and four walks despite striking out five Wake batters. Baker Nelson yielded the Deacons’ final five runs, three earned, over the course of his 1-2/3 innings of relief.
Brock Wilken opened the game’s scoring in the top of the second inning. After Nick Kurtz led off with a single, the Wake Forest third baseman drilled his 19th home run of the season inside the left-field pole. LuJames Groover, III cut the Deacs’ lead in half in the bottom of the fourth inning with his 10th homer of 2022, becoming the Wolfpack’s fourth player with double-digit home runs this season.
Both teams added one run each in the eighth inning. Pierce Bennett led off the top of the frame with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, then scored on a single by Brendan Tinsman. Tommy White responded in the bottom of the eighth with his 23rd home run of the season, breaking the ACC freshman record set in 1998 by former Florida State Seminole Matt Diaz.
Wake Forest’s final insurance runs came in the top of the ninth inning. After Danny Corona and Bennett both drew walks, Michael Turconi launched his 14th home run of the year over the wall in right field. Kurtz and Wilken both got on base soon with a single and on a Wolfpack error, respectively, before coming home on a two-run double by Adam Cecere.
The Wolfpack will look to even the series against the Demon Deacons on Friday, May 20. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.