Wolfpack Opens ACC Tournament With Comeback Win Over Deacons

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After getting swept by Wake Forest (39-17-1, 15-14-1 ACC) to finish the regular season, NC State (34-20, 14-15 ACC) entered the 2022 ACC Championship Baseball Tournament matched up as the No. 10 seed with the Demon Deacons, the No. 6 seed, as its opponent on the first day of pool play.

Unlike the final three games at Doak Field, the Pack battled ahead with six runs in the fifth inning to take the lead it would not relinquish, taking the win at Truist Field, 11-8.

Justin Lawson started his second game of the season Tuesday afternoon and gave up four runs on seven hits and one walk in 4-2/3 innings of work. Canaan Silver (7-1, 3.50 ERA) picked up the win after yielding one run on three hits in 1-1/3 innings. Despite giving up three runs in three innings, Chris Villaman earned his 10^th save of the year with four strikeouts while allowing three hits and a walk.

The Demon Deacons plated the first run in the bottom of the first inning. After loading the bases with a pair of singles and a walk, Lawson induced a double play that resulted in the runner on third crossing the plate. Wake Forest would tack on three more runs in the fourth inning with an RBI single by Brock Wilken, then a two-run double by Danny Corona.

The Pack struck back with its six-run surge in the fifth. Noah Soles and Dominic Pilolli each drew walks to reach base, then tagged up on a fly-out to center field to get to second and third. With two outs in the inning, Jacob Cozart brought Soles and Pilolli home with a double down the right-field line. After a walk to Devonte Brown, LuJames Groover, III brought home Eddie Eisert, Cozart’s pinch-runner, on a double to left field. Tommy White was intentionally walked to load the bases for Josh Hood who doubled to bring Brown and Groover home for the tying and go-ahead runs, respectively. After a beanball to Soles to load the bases, J.T. Jarrett drew a walk to bring White home.

The Deacs cut into the deficit with an RBI single by Jake Reinisch, scoring Wilken, in the sixth inning, but NC State quickly responded with five runs in the top of the seventh. Hood led off with his 13^th homer of the season. Soles walked, moved to second on a Jarrett bunt, then scored on a Pilolli triple. Green then drilled a two-run shot to left field, his seventh home run of the year. Two batters later, Brown homered for the 14^th time in 2022.

After Villaman entered in relief of Silver, Wake managed to cut the Pack’s lead to three thanks to a one-run double by Nick Kurtz and a two-run home run by Wilken. However, Villaman kept the Demon Deacons in check for the remainder of the game. With Wake Forest threatening with two runners on base and the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, Villaman fanned Kyle Joye to secure the victory.

The Wolfpack returns to action Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. against third-seeded Miami with the winner facing either Louisville or Pitt in the ACC Tournament semifinals on Saturday.