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Canes Baseball wins opener over NC State at ACC Tournament

On3 imageby:Miami Hurricanes Athletics•05/25/23
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DURHAM, N.C. — Moving on.

Miami closer Andrew Walters secured the final seven outs to lift the fourth-seeded Hurricanes over the ninth-seeded NC State Wolfpack, 4-2, Thursday evening at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. 

With the Hurricanes (38-18) in a jam in the seventh, Miami head coach Gino DiMare to his All-American closer.

Walters (10) stranded a pair of Wolfpack runners on base, retiring seven of the eight batters he faced to put Miami in the ACC Baseball Championship semifinals for the first time since 2017.

Walters teamed up with sophomore southpaw Rafe Schlesinger and righty Carlos Lequerica to silence NC State (35-19) over the final 5 1/3 innings. Miami’s three relievers surrendered just two hits after ace Gage Ziehl limited the Wolfpack to a pair of runs.

Miami jumped ahead of NC State early behind a two-run blast from sophomore left fielder Edgardo Villegas in the top of the first.

Villegas’ homer marked the Hurricanes’ 107th round-tripper of the year, the second-most in a single season in program history.

In the bottom half, NC State responded immediately.

Freshman first baseman Eli Serrano III plated a pair to even the score, 2-2.

Ziehl set down nine of the next 12 hitters before handing it over to the bullpen.

Sophomore designated hitter Renzo Gonzalez pushed Miami back in front with a run-scoring single in the fourth.

Junior center fielder Jacoby Long scampered home on a passed ball to tack on an insurance tally in the eighth.

Following its postseason-opening victory, Miami will conclude pool play against fifth-seeded Duke Friday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.

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