Thanks to a shut-down performance from its pitching staff and a clutch sixth inning, NC State baseball topped Duke 2-1 at Jack Coombs Field Saturday to clinch its ninth weekend series win in nine tries this season, including all seven ACC series. NC State has now won 10 consecutive conference series dating back to last season.
The Wolfpack’s (31-7, 15-5 ACC) pitching staff kept the Blue Devils (30-10, 12-7) from cashing in on their scoring opportunities, holding them to one run on nine hits. The Pack did all of its damage in this low-scoring affair in the top of the sixth inning courtesy of an RBI triple from sophomore shortstop Will Wilson, and a game-winning sacrifice fly from junior first baseman Evan Edwards that survived a lengthy review process. Senior center fielder Josh McLain continued his red-hot run at the plate, going 3 for 4 to improve to 10 for 14 in the last three games.
Senior lefty Brian Brown earned the start on the mound and the win for the Wolfpack. After throwing the first complete game of his career in a win over Notre Dame last weekend, Brown did not allow a run on five hits while walking one and striking out five on 72 pitches in 5.2 innings.
Mitch Stallings was the hard-luck loser for Duke, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out nine and walking none in 6.2 innings pitched, throwing five scoreless innings before the Pack dented his armor in the sixth.
In the top of the first, with McLain and junior left fielder Brett Kinneman on first and second with singles, Wilson came inches from giving the Pack a 3-0 lead with a towering shot to left, but Duke left fielder Jimmy Heron made a leaping catch at the wall to rob him of the homer.
Stallings escaped the threat altogether, retiring the next two batters he faced after Wilson.
Brown faced a jam in the bottom of the first, giving up singles to the first two batters he faced to put runners on the corners with no outs. He retired the side, however, sending the game to the second scoreless.
After a pitcher’s duel through the first five innings, the Pack finally broke through against Stallings in the top of the sixth. With McLain on second following his third hit of the game, a standup triple to center from Wilson gave NC State a 1-0 lead. Edwards then gave the Pack a 2-0 lead with a sacrifice fly. It was initially ruled that Wilson was thrown out at home, but a review overturned the call and put the Wolfpack up by a pair.
Head coach Elliott Avent elected to replace Brown with sophomore reliever Kent Klyman with two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the sixth. After Klyman surrendered a single to Duke outfielder Griffin Conine, he struck out his next batter to send NC State to the seventh up 2-0.
After allowing back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom of the seventh, Klyman again pitched out of the jam and kept the Blue Devils scoreless.
Duke cut the lead in half in the bottom of the eighth; Conine scored from second on an errant throw to first from Wilson with two outs to make it 2-1.
After Klyman got the first out in the ninth, Avent replaced him with senior closer Joe O’Donnell. Klyman allowed one run on four hits while striking out three and walking none in 2.2 innings pitched. O’Donnell retired both batters he faced to clinch the series for the Pack.
NC State will go for its second ACC sweep of the season Sunday at Coombs Field with first pitch slated for one p.m.
