Inez Nicholson
Junior outfielder Stephen Pitarra runs to first base on April 8, 2017 during the Wolfpack's game against Florida State. Pitarra had 1 run and 1 hit for four at bats. The Wolfpack won 8-4 at Doak Field.
The NC State baseball team showed some fight, but ultimately saw its eight-game ACC winning streak in 15-6 loss to the Clemson Tigers at Doak Field Saturday.
The Wolfpack (33-22, 16-14 ACC) tried to rally back with a four-run sixth inning, but two big frames for the Tigers’ (38-17, 17-13 ACC) hitters, who scored 11 of their 15 runs in the third and seventh innings, ultimately did State, which used nine different pitchers, in.
“We absolutely just didn’t pitch,” head coach Elliott Avent said. “I think we had like 11 walks, allowed 15 hits or something. Every time we’d get back in it, we’d walk a couple, and you just can’t do that.”
The Pack won the series but could not pick up a third-straight conference sweep, dropping the team to the seventh seed in the upcoming ACC tournament.
“It’s a good series win,” Avent said. “We’re playing good at the right time, but we’re going to have to pitch better, bottom line.”
The Pack took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Junior first baseman Stephen Pitarra led off with a grounder to short, reaching second on a throwing error, and scored on a deep sac-fly to right by freshman designated hitter Brad Debo.
A five-run third inning gave the Tigers a lead they would never relinquish. The Tigers tied the game at one on an RBI single from shortstop Brandon Davidson that scored second baseman Jordan Greene from second. Clemson took a 2-1 lead a two batters later; center fielder Weston Jackson dropped a single into shallow right with the bases loaded to score Davidson from third.
“Both teams expended a lot of energy in those first two games,” Avent said. “Both teams, I thought, gave it everything they had. Today, we didn’t have much left.”
That was the end of the day for freshman starting pitcher Michael Bienlien, as Avent opted to replace him with freshman reliever Dalton Feeney. The righty did not get off to a strong start, as he balked with the bases loaded, giving the Tigers another run.
Feeney then walked Tigers first baseman Aaron Cox to again load the bases with one out, leading to Avent replacing him with sophomore Austin Staley. Staley retired his first batter on a shallow flyout to center, but Clemson third baseman Grayson Byrd then drove in two more with a single up the middle, putting the Tigers up 5-1.
Clemson added another run in the top of the fifth on an RBI single to left from Greene to make it 6-1 Tigers, and grabbed another on a base hit from Cox in the top of the sixth, putting the Tigers up 7-1.
The Pack cut the deficit to 7-2 on an RBI single from third baseman Evan Mendoza in the bottom of the sixth. The threat continued as sophomore left fielder Brett Kinneman drew a walk to load the bases with nobody out. The Pack brought sophomore Christian Demby in to pinch hit for junior right fielder Brock Deatherage with the bases loaded and one down, and he drew a walk to bring in another run and make it 7-3. The Pack continued to inch closer on an RBI single to center from Pitarra that scored two, making it 7-5.
That was it for Clemson starter Pat Krall, who exited the game after throwing 5.1 innings, allowing five earned runs and nine hits while striking out three and walking three, giving way to reliever Owen Griffith. He escaped the inning without further damage, and the Pack headed to the seventh trailing by two.
“That’s what we’ve done,” Avent said. “It’s what we’ve done in this stretch; it’s kind of what we’ve done all year. We’ve had the tying run at second base. [We get] a base hit and it’s 7-7 after being 7-1. The guy made a pitch, I think it was a changeup to Debo, they got a ground ball to second then came in and put a six spot up. Our guys fought hard.”
The Tigers countered with a six-run top of the seventh including a three-run blast over the left-field wall from designated hitter Chris Williams, picking up a 13-5 lead and wiping out the Pack’s sixth-inning rally. They picked up two more in the top of the eighth to cap off their total at 15.
Junior outfielder Garrett Suggs picked up the Pack’s sixth run in the top of the eighth, scoring on a wild pitch.
The loss wraps up the regular season for the Pack. Pool play in the ACC tournament begins Tuesday in Louisville, Kentucky.