Wilson’s late homer enough for Pack to top Eagles
The NC State baseball team defeated Boston College 2-1 on an 8th inning home run from Will Wilson at Doak Field in the first ACC game of the season for both teams.
Brian Brown got the start on the mound and was brilliant for the Pack (12-2, 1-0 ACC). He threw 7 and ⅓ innings and gave up one unearned run on three hits while striking out six. He came in with a 0.50 ERA and lowered it to 0.36 by the time he was done.
The Eagles (5-7, 0-1 ACC) scored their lone run in the fifth. With two outs in the inning, Chris Galland reached on an error by Wilson, stole second, and after a walk, scored on a ground rule double by Brian Dempsey.
BC tried to extend their lead in the eighth. Jack Cunningham singled to start the inning, Dempsey followed with a bunt and both were safe after an error by Evan Edwards. Jake Palomaki, the leadoff hitter and best hitter for the Eagles, laid down a bunt to advance the runners to second and third with one out. Reid Johnston then relieved Brown and induced a shallow pop out from Dante Baldelli and a liner to third from Gian Martellini, which was snared by Dillon Cooper, to strand both runners.
After struggling to string consecutive hits together all day, the Wolfpack were finally able to do damage in the eighth against BC starter Jacob Stevens. With one out, Josh McLain hit a towering fly ball that hit the top of the left field fence and resulted in a double. Brett Kinneman struck out before Wilson hit a hanging breaking ball over the 370 mark in left-center field to give State the lead for good.
Kent Klyman shut the door and got the Eagles 1-2-3 in the ninth for his first save of the season. Johnston got his first win of the season.
Stevens took the loss to fall 2-2, despite pitching a complete game and allowing five hits, while lowering his ERA to 2.95.
The Pack and Eagles will complete the three-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday, starting at 1 p.m. Johnny Piedmonte will start game one for the Wolfpack while the second game starter hasn’t been announced, but it will likely be David Harrison.