Wolfpack can’t capitalize on opportunities, drops midweek game to Campbell

NC State left eight runners on base from the 7th to 9th innings as it failed to capitalize on opportunities in giving away a midweek non-conference game to Campbell on Tuesday evening by a final of 5-3.

Wolfpack starting pitcher Alec Barger worked three scoreless innings to start the game - although he did have to work around a two-on, no-out situation in the 2nd - before running into trouble in the 4th. In that frame, Barger allowed five straight Campbell hits (three singles, a home run, and a double) with one out. The home run is what really did the damage, turning a 2-1 State lead into a 4-2 deficit. The Camels tacked on another run with a sacrifice fly in the inning to push their lead to 5-2.

After Barger finally got the hook, the Wolfpack bullpen (Baker Nelson, Evan Justice, Cameron Cotter) combined to pitch 5.2 innings of scoreless, two-hit ball while striking out six Camel hitters. NC State pitchers did not issue a walk on the day.

The real story of this game was NC State’s inability to capitalize on offensive opportunities. Late in the game, the Wolfpack loaded the bases in each of the 8th and 9th innings and had men on first and second with no outs in the 7th, but managed just one total run out of those chances. Based on run expectancy of those situations, on average a team scores 4.3 runs... State got one and lost the game by two.

NC State had 15 men reach base safely in the game, Campbell had nine. State had six hitters reach base safely multiple times in the game (2-7 hitters Will Wilson, Evan Edwards, Patrick Bailey, Tyler McDonough, Brad Debo, Luca Tresh), Campbell had two. State left 11 men on base in the game, Campbell left four.

Baseball.

NC State returns to action Friday as they kick off a home ACC series with a Clemson squad that has struggled over the last month, but is still a top 50 RPI team. First pitch Friday is at 6:30pm.