The NC State baseball team started out its 2017 ACC Tournament slate with a commanding 6-1 win over Boston College Tuesday in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Wolfpack (34-22, 17-14 ACC) got a four-RBI performance from sophomore Brett Kinneman, highlighted by a three-run home run in the seventh inning, to lead the team. The Eagles (25-27, 11-20 ACC) were able to muster just one run off of State’s pitching duo of redshirt senior Johnny Piedmonte and senior Sean Adler.
Piedmonte (7-0, 1.87 ERA) put in a stellar pitching effort for the Pack, tossing five innings of one-run baseball to collect the win. For the Eagles, Jacob Stevens (5-7, 5.10 ERA) picked up the loss after allowing three early runs. Stevens would settle down to throw three scoreless innings before being relieved in the fifth, but State never surrendered the lead.
It was all business for the Pack early, as State tallied three runs in the first inning to set the tone for the game. The inning started with three straight singles to load the bases, an RBI groundout from sophomore Brett Kinneman and a two-run bloop single from freshman Will Wilson cleared the runners and put the Pack up 3-0.
Piedmonte coasted through the first five frames, but allowed back-to-back hits followed by a walk to load the bases with no outs in the sixth. Adler (5-6, 3.69 ERA) relieved Piedmonte, inducing a double play ball that allowed just one run to score and cut the Pack’s lead to 3-1.
State put the game away for good in the seventh inning on a three-run blast from Kinneman. Freshman Brad Debo singled and junior Joe Dunand drew a walk to put runners on for Kinneman, who launched an 0-2 pitch over the right-field fence to grow the Wolfpack lead to 6-1.
Adler closed things out for State, pitching four scoreless innings to shut down the Eagles and earn his third save of the season. Adler, who was a starter for most of the season, saved the Pack from having to use any more of the bullpen, keeping the team fresh for the remainder of the tournament.
The Wolfpack will play in a winner-take-all game against rival UNC-Chapel Hill Friday night, with the victor advancing to the single-elimination semifinal round on Saturday. With the UNC-Boston College game Wednesday essentially meaningless, the Wolfpack will likely have to face Carolina ace J.B. Bukauskas (8-0, 1.87 ERA), who has shut down opponents all season long.
State will combat Bukauskas with either freshman Michael Bienlien (3-3, 4.53 ERA) or junior Brian Brown (4-1, 3.12 ERA). The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and is the final contest of the pool-play round of the ACC Tournament.
