CHARLOTTE — The NC State baseball team beat UNC-Charlotte 6-5 Tuesday night as part of the Collegiate Baseball Series at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte, NC.
The Wolfpack (16-0, 3-0 ACC) used late rallies in the eighth and ninth innings to overcome a three-run deficit and extend its winning streak to an NCAA-best 16 games.
“When you win you’re having fun,” head coach Elliot Avent said. “The eighth inning [the players] came in ready to roll.”
The 49ers (8-8) struck first in the bottom of the third inning, knocking sophomore left-hander Canaan Silver (1-0, 3.18 ERA) around for four singles in the inning, plating two runners to take an early 2-0 lead.
The Pack answered back in the fifth, rallying with two outs to cut the 49ers’ lead in half. After two quick outs, junior center fielder Lawson McArthur (0 for 3, run, BB) and sophomore right fielder Terrell Tatum (2 for 3, run, walk) worked back-to-back walks. Two pitches later, sophomore pinch-hitter Jonny Butler (1 for 3, RBI) lined a 1-1 fastball to right field for a single, scoring McArthur and trimming the deficit to 2-1.
“Jonny hopped off the bench and got a big hit,” Avent said. “I was proud of him.”
The very next inning, the 49ers doubled their lead back to two runs, as right fielder Dominick Cammarata launched a solo home run off of freshman reliever Baker Nelson into the left-field pavilion to tack on an insurance run. One inning later, Charlotte added another run when second baseman Carson Johnson lined an RBI single to left field, pushing the score to 4-1.
Junior shortstop Will Wilson (2 for 4, two runs, RBI) led off the eighth inning with a walk and senior first baseman Evan Edwards (2 for 5, run) followed up with a line-drive single into right field to put runners at first and second base with no outs for the reigning ACC Freshman of the Year, sophomore catcher Patrick Bailey (1 for 4, HR, three RBIs). With a 3-1 count, Bailey launched a fastball deep to right field, clearing the fence and leaving the stadium entirely to tie the game up at 4-4 and keep the Pack’s undefeated season alive.
“I was staying with my approach as always,” Bailey said. “Trying to get a pitch to hit … that was fun.”
As it’s done all season, the Wolfpack came through in the ninth inning and sealed its comeback victory. After Tatum doubled down the right-field line and advanced to third on a fielder’s choice two batters later, Wilson ripped a single into center field to score Tatum and give the Pack the lead. An Edwards single and a Bailey hit-by-pitch later brought junior catcher Brad Debo (0 for 2, three BB) to the plate, who worked a full-count walk to tack on an insurance run.
“We have a bunch of different ways we can win,” Wilson said. “There’s a lot of confidence in the locker room.”
Junior left-hander Kent Klyman (5-0, 3.00 ERA), who picked up the win, got the first out of the bottom of the ninth before redshirt sophomore righty Dalton Feeney (four saves, 0.71 ERA) got the last two outs to shut the door, nab the save and complete the Pack’s come-from-behind win.
“To be undefeated at this point, you’re really proud of the guys in the locker room,” Wilson said. “We’re playing for each other and we’ve had a lot of big wins this season so everyone is proud of each other.”
NC State will return to action Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Doak Field when it takes on George Mason.
Head baseball coach Elliott Avent shakes hands with players after their comeback win over UNC-Charlotte on Tuesday, March 12, 2019 in BB&T Ballpark. The Wolfpack beat the 49ers 6-5.
