Caleb Mangum turned a game he would like to forget into a game that he would never want to forget with one swing. Mangum committed two errors in Boston College’s three-run first inning, but he erased them with a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game for N.C. State. The homerun, Mangum’s first at N.C. State, bounced off the top of mini-monster left field wall and then hopped out of Doak Field, setting off a wild Wolfpack celebration.
Winning pitcher Sam Walls described the chaos of the celebration.
“I don’t know what happened,” he said. “I saw him hit it and I took off running with Ryan Pond. He runs out on the field. I saw no one was throwing the ball in so I figured it was a homerun. So, then I am trying to get Pond off the field so we get both runs.”
Mangum said he was not sure the ball was going to leave the park when he hit it.
“It went, I mean it just barely went,” Mangum said. “I looked up just in time to see it skip off the top. I couldn’t believe it went out.”
After a back and forth game that had three lead changes and two ties going into the ninth inning, Mangum was ready for the game to be done.
“I was glad we could get a run across. I was pretty worn out and I didn’t want to go extras,” he said.
Following a mistake-filled first inning, State tied the game 3-3 in the bottom of the second inning. Ryan Pond hit his first homerun, a two-run shot over the left field wall inside the foul pole. Following Pond, Matt Mangini singled and later scored on Matt Camp’s RBI double down the left field line.
State took a 5-3 lead in the third inning. Aaron Bates singled, Brain Aragon was hit by a pitch, and Pond singled to load the bases with one out. Mangini hit a single to drive in Bates and Aragon.
Boston College took back the lead, 6-5, with three runs in the fifth inning. The Eagles forced State starter Gib Hobson from the game and Jason Duncan was brought in to relieve him. Duncan did not fair much better against the Boston College hitters, lasting just one and one-thirds innings. Duncan was pulled from the game in the seventh inning after loading the bases and not recording an out.
Walls inherited Duncan’s jam, and Boston College was able to bring three runs across the plate after Walls entered the game. After the seventh inning, Boston College lead 9-5.
Walls said he was disappointed with results in the seventh inning.
“I know that’s my role. I came in and didn’t make the pitches I needed to make and kind of let the team down,” Walls said. “I knew after that I had to give whatever I had to try to make up for giving the walk, letting the run score on the double play and giving up a hit.”
Coach Elliot Avent was not as hard on Walls, as Walls was on himself.
“Sam came in too tough of a situation. I wanted him first and second, but I waited too long to tell him,” Avent said. “He held it to a minimum and we bounced back and were able to do some good things.”
Walls settled in and retired the Eagles in order in the eighth and the ninth inning to keep the Pack’s comeback hopes alive and earned his first win of the season.
Despite pitching three innings of relief, allowing only one hit and not being charged with any runs, Walls said State’s offense deserves the credit for the win.
“All credit today goes to our offense. I struggled and they bailed me out,” Walls said.
Trailing 9-6 in the eighth inning, State played small ball and capitalized on Boston College errors to plate three runs and tie the game 9-9. Back-to-back singles by Mangum and Diaz, along with a Camp fielder’s choice loaded the bases with no outs for the Pack. When Ramon Corona hit into a fielder’s choice, Camp was retired at second, but Mangum scored from third and Diaz scored from second on a throwing error. When Corona scored from third on a passed ball, State had tied the game.
Pond led off the bottom of the ninth with a base hit, and then pinch runner Chris Engle replaced him. Engle moved to second on a fielder’s choice to set the stage for Mangum’s heroics.
“We played with a lot of confidence today. Even when we were down 9-5, there was a lot of good feel in the dugout,” Avent said. “I’m really proud of the way the team battled today. It’s just a great win”
The win against Boston College gives State a record of 18-4 on the season and 3-0 in the ACC. Also, the win marks the Pack’s first ACC series sweep since May of 2002 against Virginia.
State returns to action Wednesday March 15 at 4 p.m. against UNC Greensboro at Doak Field.
