DURHAM, N.C. — The Pack has scuffled heading into the postseason without a series win since sweeping Clemson at the end of April.
Going toe to toe with that same foe in its ACC championship opener, the Pack could not replicate its midseason success, falling 7-6 in a thriller to the Tigers.
“A loss obviously hurts,” said senior shortstop Justin DeCriscio. “But it’s like if you’re 0-3 in a game, you’re not gonna let those losses hurt you. You’re going to learn from them, keep going and produce when you need to.”
The Durham Bulls Athletic Park with its iconic ‘Blue Monster’ and ‘Hit Bull Win Steak’ sign was a perfect setting for this drama-filled affair. The Pack went back-and-forth with Clemson totaling five lead changes and huge momentum swings, seemingly every inning.
“It’s just a lot of close plays,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “Both teams gave it everything they had, and they just made a couple more plays than we did.”
The Wolfpack (33-19) certainly had its chances against the Tigers (43-15), but key mistakes by the red-and-white sunk the Pack’s chances. Hitting into four double plays, NC State constantly got in its own way, tossing multiple scoring opportunities away. While the Wolfpack matched punches with Clemson throughout the evening, the inability to truly stack runs and pull away proved costly as the Tigers narrowly pulled ahead in the eighth inning.
The Wolfpack also suffered some bad luck against the Tigers. Not once but twice, NC State nearly barreled home runs to right field thanks to sophomore second baseman Luke Nixon and sophomore catcher Alex Sosa. However, both shots were caught at the warning track, leaving NC State empty handed and unable to break the game open.
Being aggressive on the base path, multiple runners were thrown out trying to extend a base hit, leaving more runs on the table. The most damaging base running error came in the eighth, with the Pack in reach of tying it. Junior Brayden Fraasman smacked an RBI single into right, but was caught trying to take second after the throw home.
In recent series, the top of the lineup has struggled mightily, with the bottom of the lineup bearing the burden of run production. Against Stanford, the top of the lineup went 10-for-50. Finally breaking through against Clemson, the first four batters went 7-for-17. With sophomore first baseman Chris McHugh back in the lineup after missing time with a hand injury, the Pack’s best hitter helped to round out the batting order.
“He’s been banged up on that hand a few times,” Avent said. “He’s wearing a handguard now and yeah it bothers him a little bit, but this time of year you compete and you suck it up.”
At the top of the lineup, McHugh went 2-for-5, junior left fielder Josh Hogue went 2-for-4 and DeCriscio went 3-for-3.
With the bats up and down throughout the night, the Wolfpack needed a strong outing on the mound. While the Pack’s pitchers certainly had their moments, especially sophomore Jacob Dudan, NC State’s pitching wasn’t at its best. Whether it was leaving starting pitcher junior Dominic Fritton in the game too long or long reliever freshman Anderson Nance never settling in, the Wolfpack suffered its share of struggles on the mound and Clemson took full advantage. Racking up 16 hits as a team, the Tigers minimized the Pack’s greatest strength — and it ultimately proved to be the difference.
Dropping seven of its last ten games, the Wolfpack is quickly trending in the wrong direction entering the postseason. Likely a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Wolfpack will have to turn things around in a hurry to make some noise in the postseason.
Next up NC State will await its destination for the NCAA Tournament. The full bracket will be announced on Monday May 26 and the regional round will begin on Friday May 30.
