Softball

No. 8 NC State Edges No. 9 Syracuse in 2019 ACC Softball Championship Opener

Championship Page | Tickets | Box Score
 
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (theACC.com) – NC State defeated Syracuse, 4-3, in the first 2019 ACC Softball Championship game.
 
The No. 9 Orange (21-32) started the scoring early in the top of the first inning, after Alicia Hansen advanced to home following Lailoni Mayfield stealing second base. Mayfield advanced to third on the play but was stranded there to end the inning, leaving the score 1-0 in favor of Syracuse.
 
No. 8 NC State (30-26) answered in the bottom of the first inning, scoring three runs. Leadoff hitter Sam Russ got a base hit up the middle and stole second base shortly after getting on. Syracuse’s Alexa Romero walked April Visser, who then stole second. Russ scored on a throwing error after Visser stole second and advanced to third, evening the score at 1-1. Romero walked the next batter, Logan Morris, who advanced to second and then third, after a passed bass while Visser scored, giving NC State a 2-1 lead. Skylar Johnston’s sacrifice fly to right knocked in Morris, extending the Wolfpack lead to 3-1.
 
In the third inning, Syracuse’s Gabby Teran homered to left field, cutting NC State’s lead to one. The Wolfpack would answer in the bottom of the frame after a single and two walks, followed by Romero hit pinch hitter Chandley Garner with the bases loaded, scoring Johnston. At the end of four, NC State held a 4-2 lead.
 
Syracuse clawed back to within one in the fourth inning, after Alex Acevedo was walked by NC State’s Devin Wallace and Bryce Holmgren drove her home with a double to left center.
 
Wallace earned the win on the day after three earned runs in four innings of work. Kama Woodall was credited with a save after closing out the final three innings for NC State.

The Wolfpack advance to Thursday's 11 a.m. quarterfinal against top-seeded Virginia Tech.
 
ACC fans will be able to watch all nine games of the championship as Wednesday’s, Thursday’s and Friday’s contests will be televised by the league’s Regional Sports Networks, and Saturday’s title game will be carried live on ESPN.