Got to be honest, I didn't think there was snowball's chance in Hell they would overturn that call at the plate after the way the review of the first play at the plate went. Game would've likely gone much differently had that first call been corrected (I believe the runner was out at home, unless someone can offer a reasonable explanation as to why he wasn't). Kudos to the guys for overcoming that adversity, and the adversity that they created themselves. So many people only start watching baseball in the ACC tournament and have no idea that this team had so many close games at the beginning of the year, but in those games, it never felt like they weren't going to pull it out. There was a dip in that confidence when Wilson got hurt and we started to lose a few games, but I think they've got it back. When a team believes that they are never out of a game, they keep fighting until the last out, the last strike, and that makes them hard to beat.
DURHAM, N.C. -- The Wolfpack left it late, so using a little extra time to get a call right was only fitting.
NC State scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning, including the eventual game-winner when pinch-runner David Harrison deftly slid across home under the tag, to rally past Wake Forest, 6-5, in the Pack's Pool C opener Thursday evening at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
With the win the Wolfpack (42-15) advances to the semifinals of the ACC Baseball Championship on Saturday at 5 p.m. and will take on the winner of Friday's matchup between Georgia Tech and Duke. NC State faces Florida State on Friday at 7 p.m. in what is now a contest that will have no bearing on the final results of Pool C.
Wake Forest, which was one out away from moving on the semifinals, exits the tournament at 31-26 overall.
Baker Nelson pitched one-third of an inning and picked up his second win of the season to improve to 2-0 for the Wolfpack. Cameron Cotter recorded three straight outs in the bottom of the ninth en route to his third save of the campaign.
"I've come in in the ninth a few games now, and so I'm getting, I wouldn't say comfortable in that position, because obviously there is going to be some pressure there, but just coming in with a man on second I just wanted to pound the zone with fastballs," Cotter said. "That's been our game plan in the past, playing Wake Forest, and I just wanted to do it again."
William Fleming of Wake Forest was saddled with the loss to drop to 1-4 on the season after yielding four runs on four hits and two walks, with one strikeout, in the top of the ninth inning.
"[I am] just really happy for the guys because it shows NC State's famous for a lot of things," NC State head coach Elliott Avent said. "One thing they're famous for is 'don't give up, don't ever give up,' and nobody will ever forget Jimmy V and that famous speech which has taken on a life of its own. We're teaching more than baseball here."
NC State trailed 5-2 heading into the top of the ninth inning.
The craziness of the ninth began when Will Wilson led off the frame with a triple that dropped conveniently for the Wolfpack directly in front of Wake Forest right fielder Michael Ludwig. Patrick Bailey then walked to put runners on the corners, and that is where they stayed after Evan Edwards lined out to shortstop for the first out of the inning. Tyler McDonough fouled off five pitches in a 12-pitch at-bat before ultimately drawing a walk to load the bases.
Brad Debo laced a single to bring two runs home and draw the Wolfpack within one. Harrison was then inserted as a pinch runner and things got quite interesting.
Harrison, who advanced to second base on a wild pitch prior to Luca Tresh striking out for the second out of the inning, represented the leading run. Terrell Tatum then hit a slow chopper to second base where it was fielded cleanly by Wake's Michael Turconi, but there was a slight double-clutch on the throw to first. That hitch allowed Tatum to beat out the throw for an infield single and McDonough crossed home plate to tie the game.
Harrison, a pitcher by trade who was running because the Wolfpack was thin on position players (21 players entered the game for NC State), darted home behind McDonough. The throw home from first baseman Bobby Seymour was deemed to have been on time and Harrison was ruled out on a bang-bang play, but it was then sent to the replay monitors for review.
After a lengthy pause in the contest, the call was overturned and Harrison was ruled safe to hand NC State its first lead of the game and set off a wild celebration in the Wolfpack dugout.
Avent, who has seen plenty of close calls in his tenure as NC State head coach, was grateful for the fortuitous overturning on the play at home plate.
"I've actually always been against instant replay in all sports; I think it slows the game down a lot, and I don't think they get it right a lot," Avent said. "After the Trea Turner thing (at the 2014 ACC Baseball Championship), I changed my mind. That kept us out of the postseason, and it was devastating, so I changed my mind, and it's actually worked a lot better than I ever thought it would work. It's saved me a lot of ejections. So I'm really happy about that."
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