The N.C. State softball team earned yet another home victory Wednesday, as the team took down Elon University at Dail Stadium, improving its home record to 16-1. The 13-5 win, which took only five innings, was the Wolfpack’s fourth mercy-rule victory of the season, all of which have come at home.
State (20-10 overall, 10-4 ACC) started off incredibly hot, smashing in eight runs in the first inning alone off of Elon’s junior pitcher, Caitlin O’Shea. O’Shea was quickly pulled after only two-thirds of the first inning.
It was a day of firsts for the Wolfpack, as freshman pitcher Courtney Mirabella recorded her first career start, going all five innings of the game with three strikeouts and four earned runs.
“The offense took off a lot of pressure, it was just nice to have that big cushion,” Mirabella said, referring to the large lead attributed to a season-high of four home runs.
While the Wolfpack took charge early in the game, Elon hit back-to-back home runs off of Mirabella in the top of the fifth inning.
“I kept thinking just finish it, just get the outs, use my defense and make the plays,” Mirabella said.
Mirabella pitched five innings, only giving up four hits and ringing up three batters on her way to receiving her third win of the season.
Wolfpack head coach Shawn Rychcik said he had tremendous faith in his young freshman pitcher.
“With a lead, we get the chance to work through it,” Rychcik said. “[Mirabella has] been hurt a bit this year. She’s a freshman; she’s got to get her feet stabilized out there, and the only way is to get innings, having a lead I knew I could afford a little bit.”
Freshman catcher Morgan Medford recorded her first career home run on a pinch hit, a special moment for the Whitakers, N.C. native. Medford received loud praise from her teammates and said she understood the magnitude of this accomplishment.
“It felt great, amazing actually,” Medford said. “I mean it was really awesome.”
The Pack managed nine hits with eight RBI’s on just 21 at bats on the day. State also showed discipline at the plate, watching ball after ball go by on their way to eight walks.
Junior shortstop Renada Davis lit a fire under the Pack with a strong performance at the plate, going two-for-three with two home runs, marking the Tomball, Texas native’s second multi-homer showing of the season. Davis also brought in three runs for the Pack.
“I felt good warming up, and I felt good at the plate,” Davis said. “I just hacked, and they just left them over the plate.”
Rychcik said he was pleased with the team’s overall performance Wednesday.
“It’s good to come out and do what we’re supposed to do,” Rychcik said. “We wanted to make sure that we were taking nothing for granted and be focused. We were attentive right off the bat, good at bats the rest of the day.
“Getting to 20 [wins] is a nice mark. When we get to 30 and 35, I’ll feel a little bit better about where we are.”
State will travel to College Park, Md. Saturday for a three-game road series, as the Pack looks to improve its conference record and keep its bats sizzling.
