Pack drops final game of pool play to UNC

CHARLOTTE -- In a game that was effectively meaningless in terms of this ACC Tournament, NC State baseball fell 9-6 against UNC at Trusit Field in Charlotte Friday night to wrap up pool play. 

The Wolfpack’s lineup put up six runs on 13 hits, but let a couple big opportunities go by the wayside with 11 left on base. 

With NC State’s spot in the semis secure, Elliott Avent elected to conserve his top arms and go with a bullpen day for this one, with Andrew Tillery getting the start. Outside of a disastrous first inning for Tillery, NC State’s pitching quartet in this one, comprised of rarely-used arms, performed well, especially the freshman trio of Garrett Payne, Coby Ingle and John Miralia. 

Payne replaced Tillery and battled after a bit of a tough start, ultimately allowing three runs on five hits while striking out three and walking two in three innings. 

Ingle, NC State’s third pitcher, had by far the best performance, retiring the first nine batters he faced while striking out four and allowing one hit and one walk in four innings. Miralia finished things off with two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out one. 

Tillery found himself in trouble immediately in his one, as the Tar Heels loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the first via a double, hit batter and walk. UNC then plated five runs without recording an out via an RBI single to right from Danny Serretti and grand slam that just left the park from Mac Horvath. In total, Tillery allowed all of the first six batters to reach base before being pulled. In all, the Tar Heels batted around and sent 11 to the plate in the top of the first, as a wild pitch from Payne allowed one more to score to make it 6-0. 

The Tar Heels continued their early-innings onslaught with two more runs in the top of the second for an 8-0 lead. 

After a quiet first two innings, NC State’s bats woke up in the bottom of the third and cut the deficit to five with a three-run inning. After singles by Vojtech Mensik and J.T. Jarrett, an RBI fielder’s choice by Austin Murr put the Pack on the board. State kept the line moving, and plated two more on a bases-loaded walk for Terrell Tatum and single into shallow center for Jose Torres to make it 8-3. 

Trailing 9-4 in the bottom of the eighth, NC State began to claw its way back. After Devonte Brown and Mensik led off the inning with singles and Jarrett moved them into scoring position, back-to-back base hits from Murr and Tyler McDonough made it a 9-6 game with runners on second and third and one out. Jonny Butler and Terrell Tatum, however, both struck out to strand two in scoring position. 

That was as close as it would get, as the Pack finished pool play 1-1. 

Next up for NC State is a date with Georgia Tech in the ACC semifinals at 5 p.m. Saturday, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s title game.