Ah springtime, when a young man’s fancy turns to…
….BASEBALL!!!
With apologies to Alfred (Lord Tennyson that is…not Bruce Wayne’s manservant), love is overrated.
On a weekend that started with the crowd shivering through a would be pitcher’s duel on Friday, and ended with sweating and sunburned Wolfpack faithful cheering the long ball on Saturday and Sunday, the Pack9 was able to shake off a slow start to the weekend and get the job done versus Clemson, taking the series vs the Tiggs 2 out of 3.
Friday
When Clemson got to town to begin a three game set at Doak Field, winter still seemed to have a pretty firm grip on the air. A Friday game which saw temps struggle to rise into the upper 30s, also saw the Pack struggle, usually unsuccessfully, to avoid giving away runs.
Preston Palmeiro connects for a 3 run HR on Friday vs Clemson.
After Clemson jumped on the board early with an unearned run in the first, Wolfpack starter Corey Wilder settled in and cruised, matching Clemson starter Matthew Crownover for the next five innings and giving the tiny and chilly crowd hope.
Sadly, while both offenses sputtered, it was Wolfpack pitching and defense which blinked first, giving up a 5 spot to the Tiggs in the top of the 7th, including 2 unearned runs and 3 runs scoring on wild pitches. By the time the dust settled, Clemson had a nice little 6-0 lead heading to the stretch.
State would fight back with a Jake Armstrong solo shot in the bottom of the 7th, and a Preston Palmeiro 3 run blast in the 8th. But the Pack would get no closer, dropping the conference opener at home by a final of 6-4.
Pack Drops ACC Opener, 6-4 (GoPack.com)
Saturday
Temperatures warmed up on Saturday, and so did Wolfpack hitting. State jumped on top out of the gate, putting up 7 runs in the first two innings, all on the long ball. Logan Ratledge started things off with a 2 run blast and Ryne Willard added a 2 run shot of his own. Ratledge would go yard again in the 2nd, this time with two aboard.
Clemson would score twice in the 4th and once in the 5th to get to within 4 runs, but Andrew Knizner would launch his first HR of the year in the 7th for the final 8-3 margin, knotting the series up at 1 game apiece.
Curt Britt (2-0) got the win in relief, scattering 4 hits over 5.1 innings, yielding a run and striking out 5. In a non-save situation, Tommy DeJuneas worked the final 2 outs for the Pack after Clemson got 2 aboard in the 9th. He retired both batters he faced to slam the door on Clemson and nail down the win for Britt. DeJuneas has still yet to give up a base hit in his college career.
Four #Pack9 Homers Even Series (GoPack.com)
Sunday
The rubber match of the series was a continuation of game 2 for Wolfpack hitting with the Pack notching 11 runs in the first 3 innings, including a 6 run 2nd, while starter Johnny Piedmonte would work effectively into the 6th inning to record his first collegiate win.
Jake Fincher went 3 for 4 including a HR. Jake Armstrong knocked his 2nd HR of the year on a 2 for 5 day, while leadoff man Brock Deatherage set the table all day, going 4 for 5 and scoring 4 runs.
The Wolfpack defense set a school record on Sunday by turning 6 double plays, and tying the ACC mark.
For the weekend, Wolfpack hitting put 26 runs on the board, including 8 HRs.
#Pack9 Takes Series, Sets Double Play Record (GoPack.com)
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Sights and Sounds
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ACC Standings
With the series win, the Pack moves to 9-4(2-1 ACC).
After the first weekend of conference play, the ACC standings are as follows:
Atlantic
| Schools | Conf W-L-T | Conf PCT | W-L-T | PCT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | 3-0-0 | 1.00 | 12-3-0 | .800 | |
| NC State | 2-1-0 | .667 | 9-4-0 | .692 | |
| Louisville | 2-1-0 | .667 | 9-5-0 | .643 | |
| Wake Forest | 2-1-0 | .667 | 9-5-0 | .643 | |
| Notre Dame | 1-2-0 | .333 | 11-3-0 | .786 | |
| Clemson | 1-2-0 | .333 | 8-6-0 | .571 | |
| Boston College | 0-3-0 | .000 | 5-9-0 | .357 |
Coastal
| Schools | Conf W-L-T | Conf PCT | W-L-T | PCT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 2-1-0 | .667 | 11-1-0 | .917 | |
| Georgia Tech | 2-1-0 | .667 | 11-4-0 | .733 | |
| North Carolina | 2-1-0 | .667 | 10-4-0 | .714 | |
| Duke | 1-2-0 | .333 | 9-3-0 | .750 | |
| Miami | 1-2-0 | .333 | 10-5-0 | .667 | |
| Virginia Tech | 1-2-0 | .333 | 6-8-0 | .429 | |
| Pitt | 1-2-0 | .333 | 4-7-0 | .364 |
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A Look Ahead
The Pack heads south to begin a swing where they’ll play 8 of their next 9 games on the road beginning on Wednesday night when they face Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, FL. State will then hit Coral Gables to face Miami for 3 over the weekend.
The Pack returns to NC for a home and home with UNC-G on the following Tuesday and Wednesday (March 17 and 18), before heading north the following weekend to face BC for 3.
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