NC State tops UNC in 9-8 slugfest on Butterworth’s walk-off home run

In a game with 8 total homers (and 2 more UNC homers in the booth), the Pack strikes last

As NC State went to bat in the bottom of the 9th inning against UNC on Thursday night, all but one Wolfpack hitter that had stepped to the plate that evening had registered a hit. Brandon Butterworth was the lone hitter with a 0 in the Hit column. He changed that, and with it sent the Pack home winners on the evening over the rival Tar Heels, securing the victory in the series opener between the two.

The back-and-forth slugfest featured 26 total hits including eight home runs. Neither starting pitcher went long, with UNC pulling Jason Decaro in the 3rd inning and NC State lifting Sam Highfill in the 4th, as the hitters had their way on the evening.

UNC struck first with a two-out solo home run in the top of the 1st by Casey Cook. NC State responded in the bottom half of the frame. Eli Serrano led off with a single to left field and Garrett Pennington followed with a double to put both men in scoring position with no outs. It looked like the Pack were going to squander the opportunity, but then Jacob Cozart turned on an inside 2-2 pitch, pulling it through the right side of the infield to put the Pack ahead.

The second inning was scoreless for both squads – one of only two such innings in the game for which that can be said – but the Tar Heels put up a three spot in the top of the 3rd thanks to an Anthony Donofrio triple, a Vance Honeycutt home run, and Cook’s second home run of the evening.

Once again, State responded immediately, plating three of their own in the bottom half of the inning to retake the lead. Alec Makarewicz started the inning for the Pack in very Alec Makarewicz style.

Cozart and Butterworth each followed with walks before Chase Nixon pushed Cozart home with a one-out single to tie the game.

Luke Nixon hit what looked like an inning-ending grounder up the middle, but the combination of UNC pitcher Dalton Pence getting a slight glove on the grounder and Nixon’s hustle down the line meant that he beat the throw to first and Butterworth was able to score from third. That staked State back to a one-run lead at 5-4.

The second and final of those scoreless innings was the 4th, although both teams were into their bullpens by that point. UNC tied the game in the top of the 5th on a Parks Harber solo home run to left field.

State was scoreless in the bottom half of the 5th and Shane Van Dam kept the Tar Heels off the board in the top of the 6th. The Wolfpack loudly jumped back in front in the bottom of the 6th. Pennington and Josh Hogue each singled with one out and advanced a base on a wild pitch. With two out and the left-handed hitting Cozart coming up, UNC played the odds by bringing in lefty pitcher Kyle Percival. Cozart let Percival throw him one pitch.

UNC would chip away at State’s lead with the help of a pair of defensive miscues by the Pack. In the 7th, Alberto Osuna hit a solo home run to cut State’s lead to two and then Gavin Gallaher reached on an infield single (probably really an error), with Gallaher advancing to second on the throwing error. That ended up costly as Alex Madera singled home Gallaher to cut the Pack lead to a single run at 8-7.

After a scoreless 7th for State, Donofrio led off the top of the 8th against Wolfpack reliever Derrick Smith with what should have been a single to right field, but a misplay by Hogue allowed Donofrio to go all the way to third base. The play was ruled a double and an error. Smith retired Honeycutt in the next at bat, but Harber subsequently brought home Donofrio on a sacrifice fly to tie the game.

Hogue hit a two-out double in the bottom of the 8th, but was left stranded. Smith issued a two-out walk in the 9th to the Tar Heels, but kept them off the board, setting up the Wolfpack with a walk-off opportunity in the bottom half of the frame. With one out, enter Brandon Butterworth.

Hogue (3-for-5, 2B, R), Cozart (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, BB), and Pennington (2-for-5, 2B, 2 R) each tallied multi-hit efforts. All five of Cozart’s RBI on the evening came with two outs. Serrano (1-for-3, R, 2 BB), Butterworth (1-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB), and Chase Nixon (1-for-3, RBI, BB) also each reached base safely multiple times in the game. Smith (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 2 K) earned the win on the mound, his third of the year.

UNC used seven pitchers in the game, but only two (Decaro, Cameron Padgett) tossed 20 or more pitches on the evening. All three Wolfpack hurler crossed the 30 pitch threshold, although Smith should be available again on Saturday.

Game Two of the series is set for Friday evening at 6:00pm where the Wolfpack will look to secure their second straight series victory over a ranked opponent.