NC State completes sweep of Radford with 6-3 victory on Sunday

NC State finished off the series sweep of Radford on Sunday afternoon in Raleigh, downing the Highlanders by a score of 6-3. The sweep is the seventh season series sweep for the Wolfpack this year and improves the team’s overall record to 37-12.

Behind a three-hit bottom of the 1st inning, NC State jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, then pushed that lead to 3-0 in the 2nd inning before Radford tied the game up in the 4th. From there, the Wolfpack bullpen held the visiting team off the scoreboard while the NC State offense did pulled away to earn the victory.

Will Wilson, Patrick Bailey, and Brad Debo all singled in the 1st inning, with Debo’s hit driving in Wilson and Bailey to push the Pack out to the early lead. In the 2nd inning, Dillon Cooper hit a defense-aided one-out triple to right field when the Radford right fielder misjudged the ball off of Cooper’s bat and couldn’t recover in time to make the catch. Give Cooper credit, though, as his hustling on the play allowed him to reach third base on the play. That was the difference between him scoring in the inning and not, as a Jonny Butler sacrifice fly would plate him one batter later and there were no more Wolfpack hits in the frame.

In the 4th inning, Radford tied the game thanks to a combination of four hits (a double and three singles), a hit-by-pitch, and a sacrifice fly - all in that order. After the hit-by-pitch, however, three NC State pitchers would combine to set down 17 of the final 19 Radford hitters on the day in keeping the Highlanders off the scoreboard for the remainder of the contest.

NC State retook the lead in the 5th inning. Wilson and Evan Edwards hit back-to-back one-out singles to put men on the corners, and Wilson then scored on a Bailey sacrifice fly.

The 7th inning saw the Wolfpack extend their lead to 6-3. Cooper led off the frame with a single, then advanced to second base on a one-out Wilson walk. Edwards plated Cooper with a single, while Wilson advanced to third on the play. Bailey then brought home Wilson on a single to center field.

Cooper (3-for-3, 3B, 2 R), Wilson (2-for-3, BB, 3 R), Bailey (2-for-3, SacF, R, 2 RBI), and Edwards (2-for-4, RBI) paced the offense on the day. Debo (1-for-3, BB, 2 RBI) and McDonough (1-for-3, 2B, BB) also each reached base twice in the game.

On the mound, David Harrison was impressive in getting the start, although he was pulled in the 3rd inning. His final line: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 K. Nick Swiney (2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 2 K) earned the win in relief, although he did allow two inherited runners to score (sorry, Baker Nelson). Kent Klyman (2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K) and Dalton Feeney (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K) combined to finish things off. Feeney earned the save, his seventh of the year.

The Wolfpack next takes the diamond on Tuesday night for a home contest with a Campbell squad that went 2-1 in their own series against Radford in mid-April.