The NC State softball team (21-17, 3-8 ACC) split its pair of games Saturday as it opened its series against Syracuse (16-20, 5-6 ACC) with a doubleheader at Dail Softball Stadium.
In its first game of the day, the Wolfpack fell by a 5-2 score to Syracuse after the Orange put together a fourth-inning surge. NC State rebounded to plate five runs in the first two innings of the second contest of the day on its way to winning 7-2 to even the series.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Game One- Syracuse's leadoff hitter reached base on a walk and went on to plate the first run of the game during the first inning. Gabby Teran advanced to second on a sac bunt and third on a wild pitch. With Orange runners on the corners,
Chandley Garner attempted to catch Toni Martin stealing second but missed on the throw. The error scored Teran to put Syracuse up 1-0.
- NC State tallied a run of its own in the first frame after a two-out walk put
Logan Morris on first.
Skylar Johnston doubled down the left field line to score her.
- The Pack took its only lead of the game an inning later as
Sam Russ hit a two-out solo homer, her fourth time going yard this season.
- Syracuse regained its lead in the top of the fourth inning as it totaled four hits and four runs in its half of the frame to take a 5-2 lead that it would not relinquish.
Game Two- NC State got off to a fast start in the bottom of the first as it posted a pair of runs to take an early lead in the contest. Russ and
Brigette Nordberg earned walks as the first two Wolfpack batters before Johnston stepped up to the plate to knock a single through the left side that scored Russ and advanced Nordberg to third. Nordberg went on to come home on a
Logan Morris ground out that rolled to second base.
- The Pack headed into the second inning with a 2-0 lead, and Rizzi kickstarted another slew of NC State runs with a leadoff double that bounced off of the left center wall.
Madeline Curtis laid down a bunt to advance Rizzi to third, and a sac fly by Russ brought Rizzi in to score the run.
- Johnston came up clutch again in her second at-bat of the game. She doubled to right center to plate Nordberg and
Chandley Garner, who both reached base on a pair of walks.
- After a scoreless third inning by both teams, Syracuse got on the board as Alexis Kaiser sent a two-run shot over the right field wall. The home run scored her and Acevedo, who had reached first with a single to start the inning.
- The Wolfpack added a run in the fourth inning, and Jess Moore hit her eighth home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth. Her solo blast to left field was the final run scored by either team on the outing and put the final score of the second game at 7-2 in favor of the Pack.
ON DECK:NC State will wrap up the series with a rubber match against Syracuse on Sunday afternoon at Dail Stadium. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on the ACC Network Extra.