Wolfpack's Eighth-Inning Rally Secures Series Win Over Tar Heels
NC State (22-14, 12-8 ACC) picked up its fifth Atlantic Coast Conference series win of the season after rallying past No. 11 North Carolina (29-10, 14-6 ACC) Friday evening at Doak Field, 5-4.
Dominic Fritton started the game on the mound for the Wolfpack and tossed 99 pitches in six innings with seven strikeouts but allowed four runs on four hits and four walks. After a brief stint by Win Scott, Jaxon Lucas (1-0, 7.41 ERA) tossed two innings of relief to pick up the victory, striking out two batters while yielding two walks on 31 pitches. Jacob Dudan set the Tar Heels down in order in the ninth inning to secure his fourth save of the season.
Vance Honeycutt put Carolina on the scoreboard first, launching a solo home run over the left-field wall in just the second at-bat of the game. The score would hold until the bottom of the third inning when Garrett Pennington evened the score with an RBI double that plated Luke Nixon. However, State would strand runners on second and third in the frame to keep it tied at one run apiece.
Parks Harber wasted little time in putting North Carolina back in front with a solo homer off the Doak Field video board in the top of the fourth inning. Gavin Gallaher later padded the lead further with yet another one-run four-bagger, this one clearing the left-field wall in the fifth. Colby Wilkerson continued the fifth-inning surge with an RBI double that drove Alex Madera home to make it 4-1.
Eli Serrano chipped away at the lead in the bottom of the seventh, driving Nixon home with a base hit to center field. The Pack took the lead for good in the eighth inning with three runs scored. Brandon Butterworth plated Alec Makarewicz with a single to center field with Jacob Cozart advancing to third base on the play. Matthew Matthijs (11-3, 3.50 ERA) threw a wild pitch in the next at-bat, allowing Cozart to score the game-tying run. Butterworth moved to third base on a groundout, putting him in position to come home on a passed ball for the go-ahead run.
The Wolfpack will look to sweep the Tar Heels as the teams reconvene Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.