RALEIGH – No. 6 North Carolina stormed back from behind twice on Friday night against N.C. State, beating the Wolfpack 6-5 in a series-opening win at Doak Field in Raleigh. Ike Freeman’s two-RBI double in the top of the eighth inning gave the Heels the lead and Joey Lancellotti captured a four-out save to wrap up the win and help the Tar Heels jump to the top of the ACC.
N.C. State started the game’s scoring in the bottom of the second against North Carolina starter Cooper Criswell. The Wolfpack started the inning with a pair of singles, setting up Stephen Pitarra to drive in the game’s first run with an RBI single to left field. Criswell settled down and avoided major damage in the inning, but not before State’s Dillon Cooper drove in another run with a sac fly to center, giving the home team a 2-0 lead after two full innings.
With Criswell blanking N.C. State in the bottom of the third, the Heels took advantage with runners in scoring position in the fourth to take its first lead of the game. Brandon Riley first got North Carolina on the board with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly, but it was Ashton McGee who helped take the lead against State starter Reid Johnston. With runners on second and third and two outs, McGee took a first-pitch changeup and beat the shift to right field. It was good for two RBI, helping the Heels to a 3-2 lead.
It didn’t take long, however, for N.C. State even the game at three. Patrick Bailey, the leadoff hitter in the fourth inning, took a 2-2 pitch from Criswell and put it just far enough over the wall in right field to avoid Dallas Tessar’s leaping glove. It was Bailey’s sixth round-tripper of the year, knotting the game at three.
In the fifth, it was N.C. State taking advantage of their opportunities to tilt the edge back in their direction. After North Carolina couldn’t capitalize with the bases loaded in the top of the inning, Brett Kinneman lined a double in the left-center gap, driving in Josh McLain for his team-leading 46th RBI of the season, giving the Wolfpack a 4-3 lead through five.
State kept the one-run lead for a few innings as the Tar Heel bullpen of Caden O’Brien and Ben Casparius held the home team scoreless for a pair of frames, giving the North Carolina offense the opportunity to re-take the lead, something they did in a big way in the top of the eighth.
With the bases loaded and nobody out after two walks and a Kyle Datres single, Ike Freeman took the first pitch he saw and drove it into the gap in right-center, scoring Michael Busch and Datres. Riley, who was on first, ended up scoring on an error on a throw back to second base, giving the Heels a 6-4 lead against State reliever Kent Kylman.
N.C. State upped the drama in the bottom of the eighth, loading the bases against Brett Daniels. With two outs in the inning, coach Mike Fox handed the game over to Joey Lancellotti for the four-out save. The right-hander would walk in a run, but he was able to strike out Josh McLain on a 2-2 pitch on the inside black to end the threat with emotions plenty high at Doak Field. Heading into the ninth, it was 6-5 North Carolina.
The Wolfpack threatened in the bottom of the ninth with a runner on, but Lancellotti held tough and captured strikeouts of Patrick Bailey and Brock Deatherage to give North Carolina a 6-5 win in Raleigh, moving the team’s record to 29-13, 16-6 in ACC play.
North Carolina and N.C. State will be back in action tomorrow for game two. Austin Bergner will match up against Brian Brown for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch.
