Pack downs Deacs, 14-3, in series opener

Consiglio quiets Wake bats while Sosa hits a walk-off mercy rule grand slam in the 8th

What an effort from NC State. Facing off against one of the hottest teams in the country – a Wake Forest club having won nine straight games – the Wolfpack found themselves in an early 2-0 hole, but ultimately run-ruled the 8th ranked Demon Deacons, 14-3.

That 2-0 deficit in the 2nd inning was thanks to back-to-back home runs by Seaver King and Adam Tellier to lead off the frame. Heck, Wake Forest struck the ball better that inning than they did all game, as even Antonio Morales and Javar Williams put charges into deep flyouts in the inning.

NC State had an answer, and that 2nd inning ended up being the only one of the game where the Deacs looked like the better team.

Brandon Butterworth kept his hot bat alive with a one-out triple off the top of the wall in right centerfield in the bottom of the 2nd…

… and was brought home on a Luke Nixon single to cut the deficit to a single run.

While that was all the scoring for the Pack in that inning, Sam Highfill kept Wake off the board in the 3rd, allowing State to tie the game in their next at-bat thanks to an Alec Makarewicz big fly.

Highfill worked around a pair of one-out runners in the 4th to put up another goose egg on the board, and State responded in kind to take their first lead of the ball game. Luke Nixon led off the inning with a bunt single and then stole second base. Alex Sosa worked a bull count walk before both runners advanced on a one-out wild pitch. A controversial (if you’re Wake) balk pushed across the go-ahead run for State, and Sosa came home on an Eli Serrano groundout to push the lead to two runs.

Nick Kurtz hit a solo home run in the 5th on a ball that was originally ruled foul, but overturned upon review. With three home runs in a little over four innings, you’d have thought it was a big night from the Wake bats, but alas that was the final run to cross the plate on the evening for one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Cooper Consiglio came on in relief of Highfill with men on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out and… well… the freshman southpaw was brilliant all evening.

Consiglio recorded back-to-back strikeouts of Seaver and Tellier – the guys who had back-to-back jacks earlier – to end the threat in the fifth inning. A hit-by-pitch, single, and walk loaded the bases for Wake with two out in the 6th, but Consiglio again came up huge with another strikeout to post another zero on the board.

Coop retired all six batters he faced across the 7th and 8th innings to squash any hope of a Deacs comeback. His final line in earning his 4th win: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 7 K. Absolutely dominant performance.

While Consiglio may have entered the game with just a one-run lead, it certainly didn’t stay there. Makarewicz was hit on the elbow to lead off the bottom of the 5th (thankfully he was okay) and Butterworth laced a one out line drive single into left field, with both runners moving up a bag on a misplay by Williams. Luke Nixon had a nice at-bat, grounding out to second base for an RBI to push State’s lead bay to two runs. Sosa worked another walk and then stole second base with Wake attempting to back-pick Butterworth at third base. That throw caromed into left field allowing Butters to score and push the State lead to three.

Noah Soles led off the bottom of the 6th with a walk and then moved up a bag on a nice read of a ball in the dirt. Serrano didn’t make him wait there long.

Neither team scored in the 7th inning, but the Pack put up a 7-burger on Wake in the 8th to end the game.

Serrano singled with one out with Garrett Pennington walking on four pitches to follow. Makarewicz brought home Serrano with his second RBI of the night.

Wake went to the bullpen twice over the next three hitters, but the result for all three was the same: walks. Jacob Cozart walked to load the bases and Butterworth and Luke Nixon both pushed home runs with their respective walks to make it 10-3.

Sosa then figured enough was enough – or he just really hated the scoreboard – and officially gave the Pack a 1-0 series lead with a walk-off run-rule grand slam.

After the back-to-back Wake homers in the 2nd inning, I don’t think many would have expected a run-ruled route by the Pack, but nobody’s complaining.

NC State registered ten hits in the game with five players accounting for those: Serrano (2-for-5, R, 2 RBI), Makarewicz (2-for-4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, HBP), Butterworth (2-for-4, 3B, 3 R, RBI, BB), Nixon (2-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, SB), and Sosa (2-for-2, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB, HBP, SB).

Here, have one more look at Sosa’s shot:

Game two of the series is scheduled for Friday night at 7:00pm with NC State’s Dominic Fritton and Wake Forest’s Chase Burns set to toe the rubber for their respective clubs.