Hurricanes Drop Series Finale to Wolfpack, 12-7
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Miami Hurricanes baseball team (33-14, 13-11 ACC) dropped the series finale to the NC State Wolfpack by a final score of 12-7. Another back-and-forth ballgame was broke open by a Wolfpack grand slam in the eighth.
Right-hander Anderson Nance (3-1) earned the win for NC State, allowing two runs on nine hits across 5.2 innings while striking out nine and walking one. Miami’s Packy-Bradley Cooney (1-2) was tagged with the loss after surrendering the go-ahead run in the seventh.
NC State broke through in the bottom of the second with the first runs of the game, capitalizing on a pair of Miami errors.
Wyatt Peifer opened the inning with a single to right and Christian Serrano reached on a fielding error by third baseman Gabriel Milano, moving Peifer into scoring position. With two aboard, Drew Lanphere delivered another ball down to Milano, in which the throw sailed over first base, bringing home both runners, giving the Wolfpack a 2-0 lead.
Miami exploded in the fourth, plating five runners off six hits, all of them being singles. Max Galvin started the rally with a base hit, followed by a single from Derek Williams, and a walk to Alex Sosa to load the bases. Brylan West delivered the big swing with a two-run hit up the middle to tie the ballgame at two.
The Hurricanes kept the pressure on as Alonzo Alvarez followed with an RBI single of his own, putting Miami in the lead while advancing West into scoring position. After a flyout, Gabriel Milano added to the offensive attack with an RBI single through the right side to extend the lead, 4-2.
Following an NC State pitching change and a passed ball that moved runners into scoring position, Fabio Peralta capped the inning with an RBI single down the left field line, scoring Alvarez and giving the Hurricanes a nice 5-2 cushion.
NC State answered in the bottom of the fifth, putting together a three-run inning to cut into Miami’s lead. Andrew Wiggins sparked the rally with a single to center and Rett Johnson followed with a base hit that, paired with another Miami throwing error, allowed Wiggins to advance to third.
With two runners aboard, Luke Nixon delivered the tying hit, launching a three-run homer to deep right field to bring the Wolfpack to tie it at five.
But Miami stormed back into the lead in the top of the sixth, scoring two runs on a timely extra-base hit from Galvin. After Milano flew out to begin the inning, Peralta was hit by a pitch and Ogden followed with a single to right, moving Peralta into prime scoring position.
With runners at the corners for the Hurricanes, Galvin delivered another key swing in Saturday’s series finale, lining a double down the left field line to bring home both Peralta and Ogden, putting Miami back in the driver’s seat, 7-5.
The Wolfpack battled back once more in the seventh as Luke Nixon launched his second homer of the night to make it a one-run ballgame, then Sherman Johnson knotted the game at seven with an RBI double to score Ty Head. NC State then took the lead as they dug into Miami’s bullpen with an RBI single from Serrano to make it 8-7.
NC State delivered the dagger in the bottom of the eighth with a no-doubt grand slam from Johnson, catapulting the score to 12-7. Miami threatened in the ninth with bases loaded and no outs, but relief pitcher Nance Anderson closed the game out with two strikeouts and groundout.
Miami will return to Mark Light Field to face the FIU Panthers on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Hurricanes will then finish out their regular season home schedule this weekend against Louisville for a three-game conference series starting Thursday at 7 p.m.
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