NC State baseball falls in ACC title game, 9-5 to North Carolina
NC State baseball provided some thrills this week at the ACC Tournament in Charlotte, N.C., but the Pack’s run ended with a 9-5 loss to red-hot North Carolina in the championship game. The defeat dropped NC State to 36-21 overall on the season, and head coach Elliott Avent’s squad will await the Pack’s NCAA Tournament bid Monday.
The selection show is Monday at noon on ESPN2.
The Wolfpack struck first after a leadoff double by senior centerfielder Devonte Brown. He would score on a single from redshirt junior shortstop Josh Hood.
North Carolina, who came into the title game having won 14 of the Heels’ previous 16 games, quickly responded with a two-out, two-run homer from freshman centerfielder Vance Honeycutt off NC State redshirt sophomore righthander pitcher Logan Whitaker, who was making a start off short rest following pitching Wednesday.
The second inning would prove decisive. A fielding error, single and hit batter loaded the bases with no outs for North Carolina. By the time Honeycutt homered off reliever and sophomore righty Matt Willadsen’s first pitch of the game, UNC had plated seven runs in the inning to take an 8-1 lead.
Willadsen, like Whitaker, was pitching off limited rest after throwing extending innings in Wednesday’s win over Miami. Neither Whitaker or Willadsen were able to go at least two innings.
Whitaker got four outs before being relieved, allowing five hits and seven runs (six earned). Willadsen was able to retire five batters but gave up three hits and two earned runs while walking three and throwing a wild pitch.
“They were a little bit on fumes,” Avent admitted ater the game.
NC State sophomore star closer Chris Villaman came in with no outs in the fourth and dominated for five straight frames, not allowing a hit or walk while fanning eight.
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However, the Wolfpack bats were not able to climb back into the contest. NC State out-hit UNC, 11-8, but stranded seven baserunners. Brown and sophomore first baseman LuJames Groover III, the top two hitters in the lineup, accounted for six of the 11 hits. Hood, the cleanup batter, added two more singles. Super senior second baseman J.T. Jarrett had a two-run double in the sixth.
Brown and Groover added RBIs in the ninth. Freshman designated hitter Tommy White grounded out into a fielder’s choice to end the rally.
UNC sophomore righty Max Carlson, who started game one for the Heels on Tuesday, threw 5.0 innings and struck out six while allowing three earned runs.
NC State Baseball Awaits NCAA Tournament Selection
Going into Sunday, both D1Baseball.com and Baseball America had NC State baseball as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Regional that starts Friday. D1Baseball’s mock bracket had the Wolfpack playing in a regional hosted by East Carolina. NC State defeated ECU both times they met in the regular season.
The latest Baseball America projected field sends NC State to No. 1 overall seed Tennessee.
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