NC State beats Boston College in doubleheader, claims first ACC series win of season

NC State baseball opened ACC play in style with a doubleheader against Boston College at Doak Field at Dail Park on Friday evening to avoid a Saturday washout in Raleigh. 

While 18 innings were scheduled, the Eagles and Wolfpack ended up playing 20 between the two games. That did not stop NC State from walking away with a pair of victories to claim its first ACC series of the season. 

Game 1

The first game of the twinbill was full of fireworks, which led to free baseball at the Doak, and a 5-4 win in extra innings. 

NC State opened the scoring with a four-run third inning. First baseman Garrett Pennington doubled down the right field line to score Eli Serrano III from second. 

The Wolfpack did not stop at one run. After junior catcher Jacob Cozart walked, third baseman Alec Makarewicz sent a three-run home run over the straight away center field fence. It cleared the wall with more than enough room at the deepest point of the park — 400 feet. 

While the Wolfpack broke the game open with a crooked number, the Eagles were not far behind. 

Boston College plated three runs in the sixth to pull within one of NC State. The Eagles did their damage with the bases loaded as a two-out single from Parker Landwehr scored two before Patrick Roche hit an RBI single in the next at-bat. 

The Eagles were able to knot the game at four runs each in the eighth with a Roche RBI single through the left side off of freshman right-handed pitcher Ryan Marohn. After that, NC State inserted freshman righty Jacob Dudan, who retired nine of the 11 batters he would end up facing. 

NC State won the game in the 11th inning as Pennington singled to score right fielder Noah Soles, who had a one-out triple to set up the walk-off base knock. That marked Pennington’s second RBI of the night, which was one behind the team-most (Pennington had three).

The Wolfpack received a solid start from redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Logan Whitaker, who went 5.2 innings with three runs allowed. He struck out a career-best nine batters and walked just two with 109 total pitches. 

Dudan (2-0) earned the win with 3.2 innings of no-hit relief work with just two walks and four strikeouts. 

Game 2

Though the first game of the doubleheader was a nail-biter, NC State made sure to not have that issue in the nightcap with a 9-1 win over Boston College to clinch the series victory.

While it took NC State four innings to score in the series opener, the Wolfpack’s bats found success early in the later contest.

Soles drew a leadoff walk before he advanced to second on a Serrano groundout. That put the speedster in scoring position, where Pennington was able to drive him in on a single to left field as the throw arrived at home plate while Soles slid across safely. 

But just as it happened in the first game, Boston College had a response. The Eagles’ Noah Wang hit a solo homer over the left field fence to tie the game in the third inning. 

NC State, however, throttled Boston College with a seven-run sixth inning. The Wolfpack had a pair of run-scoring doubles — Cozart and Nixon (2 RBI) — while it had a trio of RBI singles (Josh Hogue, Luke Nixon and Pennington) to take a commanding lead.

The Wolfpack added one more run on a Luke Nixon RBI single that scored Cozart from second in the seventh inning.

Graduate right-handed pitcher Sam Highfill earned the start and pitched 4.2 innings, where he allowed one run on two hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. The starter tossed 96 pitches before he gave way to Tennessee transfer Hollis Fanning in relief. 

Fanning earned the win with 2.2 innings from the bullpen. He allowed just one hit and no runs with two walks and two strikeouts on 57 pitches.

The Wolfpack have a chance to sweep the Eagles on Sunday with sophomore left-handed pitcher Dom Fritton on the mound. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.