Wolfpack Wallops Wake in Run-Rule Rout

Alex Sosa delivered No. 17 NC State’s (30-19, 16-11 ACC) final blow in the bottom of the eighth inning against No. 8 Wake Forest (36-17, 15-13 ACC), crushing a grand slam to seal the Wolfpack’s run-rule win Thursday evening at Doak Field, 14-3.

Sosa finished the night 2-for-2 at the plate as one of five different State players with multiple hits. He and Alec Makarewicz both hit home runs for the Pack with three Demon Deacons also leaving the ballpark for the game.

Sam Highfill started the game on the mound for NC State, hurling 90 pitches over 4-1/3 innings of work. However, the Apex, N.C. native left the game after yielding all three Wake runs on six hits and three walks despite striking out four batters. Cooper Consiglio (4-4, 4.46 ERA) held the Deacs to just one hit and one walk in 3-2/3 innings, fanning a career-high seven batters en route to the win.

Seaver King and Adam Tellier drilled back-to-back leadoff home runs in the top of the second inning to put Wake Forest on the scoreboard first. NC State would waste little time cutting the Deacons’ lead in half with Brandon Butterworth reaching base on a one-out triple in the bottom half of the frame before scoring in the next at-bat on a base hit by Luke Nixon. One inning later, Makarewicz was given the green light on David Falco, Jr.’s (2-4, 6.35 ERA) 3-0 pitch that he would launch over the right-field wall for his 20^th home run of the season to tie the game at two runs apiece.

Nixon would score the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fourth inning after bunting himself on base, stealing second, moving to third on a wild pitch, then crossing the plate on a balk by Haiden Leffew. Noah Soles, who reached via walk during Nixon’s scamper around the bases, would later come home on a groundout by Eli Serrano, III.

Nick Kurtz would hit his 22^nd home run of the year in Wake Forest’s next trip to the plate in the top of the fifth inning, but the Wolfpack answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half thanks to an RBI groundout by Nixon to bring Makarewicz home and Butterworth scoring on an error by Cameron Gill. One inning later, Serrano would drive another run home, singling Soles home after the latter reached on a base hit before moving into scoring position on a wild pitch.

NC State put the game away in the eighth inning with seven runs scored. Serrano started with a one-out single, followed by a four-pitch walk to Garrett Pennington. Makarewicz plated Serrano with a single with Pennington racing to third. Jacob Cozart, Butterworth, and Nixon then drew consecutive walks with Pennington and Makarewicz crossing home on Butterworth’s and Nixon’s free passes, respectively, before Sosa’s towering fly ball to right field left the park to end the game.

The Wolfpack will look to secure the series victory Friday evening. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.