Brown Walks Off Wolfpack Over Eagles

NC State fends off solid Boston College pitching to take the win Thursday night on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning.

NC State (21-11) took the series-opening win over Boston College (15-19, 3-13 ACC) Thursday evening at Doak Field, 4-3. The win marked the Wolfpack’s second straight walk-off victory.

After leading off the bottom of the ninth inning with a single to right field, Noah Soles scored on a sacrifice fly by Devonte Brown to secure the victory for the Pack. The Thomasville, N.C. native added to his recent hot streak with a 2-for-3 showing at the plate, putting him at 17 hits in his last eight games.

Chris Villaman (2-2, 3.60 ERA), another Ledford HS graduate like Soles, picked up the win after striking out the only batter he faced while Boston College threatened with the go-ahead run on base with two away in the ninth. Rounding out the trio of former Ledford Panthers, Logan Whitaker started on the mound and allowed just one run on five hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in five innings of work. Justin Lawson and Baker Nelson combined for four strikeouts in 3-2/3 innings of relief.

With a wild pitch accounting for Boston College’s first run in the top of the first inning, the Pack struck back with a run of its own in the bottom half of the frame. LuJames Groover, III tagged Eagle starting pitcher Joe Mancini with a one-out double to left field and, after moving to third on a wild pitch, came home on a sac fly by Tommy White.

J.T. Jarrett gave NC State the lead with a home run in the bottom of the second inning, his third of the season. Payton Green added to the lead in the fifth inning with a leadoff triple before scoring on a passed ball to cap off the Wolfpack’s scoring prior to Brown’s game-winning fly ball in the ninth.