NC State softball closed out the Marucci Classic with a dominant doubleheader on Friday against Stetson and Mercer, and a win that showcased both its explosive offense and defense against Mercer once more on Saturday.
“The message overall was to be in a more attack mindset,” said head coach Lindsay Leftwich.
The Pack’s fourth win of the series made program history with its 15th home win in a row.
“Huge testament to our field guys, facilities and all the people that let us play at home for 21 games in a row. To be in your own routine is a giant advantage,” Leftwich said. “I’m proud of what we did as a group here. I think the team benefited and hopefully we keep rolling.”
Game 2: Stetson vs. NC State, 4-2
Senior pitcher Rylee Wyman was a consistent standout as she held off the Hatters by tossing five scoreless innings, only allowing four hits while on the mound.
The nail-biter win for the Pack was also attained when sophomore infielder Taryn Massey’s fielder’s choice allowed senior utility player Hannah Church to score the first run of the game, giving the back the early advantage of 1-0 at the bottom of the second inning.
The Wolfpack cushioned its lead when powerhouse-hitting freshman utility player Morgen Talley, hit a 238-foot deep center field solo home run.
Stetson fought back and tied the game in the sixth with a two-run homer.
But the Pack didn’t back down. NC State answered the call at the bottom of the sixth as Church launched a 234-foot two-run homer to left field, which drove in freshman infielder Lily Livingston, propelling the Pack back to the lead. Talley stole the show, going 3-for-3 from the batters box.
Redshirt-junior pitcher Wynne Gore sealed the deal for NC State in the seventh on the mound.
Game 3: Mercer vs NC State, 8-0
The Wolfpack rallied behind Talley as she took control on the mound, throwing a two-hit, complete-game shutout with six strikeouts.
The Pack demonstrated its dominance early on, yet again notching the opening run. Church hit an RBI-single, which brought home Short and gave the Pack a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
NC State continued its hit-streak, adding two runs in the second when sophomore infielder Kendall Simmers drove in two with an RBI-single, giving the Pack a 3-0 lead.
Mercer couldn’t meet the challenge as the Wolfpack had an explosive fourth inning, gaining three more runs, which were only possible because of Massey’s two-RBI single.
More runs followed in the fifth as Short smacked an RBI-triple and Talley knocked an RBI-single, which pushed the Pack to a lead of 8-0, triggering the run-rule to close out the game.
Short had a perfect 3-for-3 game from the batter’s box with three runs scored, while Simmers and Massey each brought in a pair of runs. NC State concluded the game with 13 hits and five walks.
Game 4: Mercer vs. NC State, 5-1
The game started slow as the most impressive feat in the first few innings was two strikeouts from Gore in the second to keep Mercer from scoring.
Junior outfielder Sarah Johnson got the Pack on the board off a sacrifice fly from Simmers, continuing its first-blood streak.
The fourth inning resuscitated a rather stagnant game as senior outfielder Maia Townsend came alive with a diving catch at center field, showcasing the team’s strong defense in a series filled with heavy-hitters.
“The defense has been our biggest change this year from my first two years. It’s something we’ve emphasized the whole time, but we have the personnel now to do it well,” Leftwich said. “Maia goes at hard things all the time, she’s not afraid of it. She sets the standard for what effort looks like defensively for us and I’m proud that she’s a part of our team.”
The electric fourth inning continued with back-to-back homers. Talley homered a 223-footer to deep center field, which allowed senior outfielder Gabi Wilson — pinch-running for Church — to score, while Massey’s deep center field bombshell reached 231-feet.
“Glory to God first, the ability he’s given us to prepare. Also our coaches do a great job pushing us in practice to create those game-like situations,” Talley said. “It’s awesome. I’m so proud of her [Massey]. She’s such an amazing leader on and off the field, and I’m so happy to share the moment with her.”
The Wolfpack finished the game with a final score of 5-1, officially sweeping the Marucci Classic.
NC State is back at home on Tuesday, March 10 at 5 p.m. against Charlotte.
