NC State beats UNC with walk-off homer in first game of baseball series
Posted April 18, 2024 11:41 p.m. EDT
Updated April 19, 2024 7:49 a.m. EDT
NC State got the upper hand in Game 1 of its key three-game baseball series with No. 11 North Carolina on Thursday night in Raleigh.
NC State junior shortstop Brandon Butterworth blasted a solo shot to left field in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Wolfpack to a dramatic 9-8 walk-off victory.
The long ball was the name of this game with the teams combining for eight home runs.
NC State improved to 21-14 overall and 11-8 in the ACC. UNC is now 29-9 and an ACC-best 14-5 in conference games.
Casey Cook's solo homer gave UNC a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. NC State followed it with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first on a two-run single by catcher Jacob Cozart. Cozart had a massive game, going 2-for-4 with five RBIs, all of them came with two outs in the respective inning.
North Carolina retook the lead with back-to-back home runs: a two-run blast by center fielder Vance Honeycutt and a second solo homer by Cook.
The Wolfpack added three runs to retake the lead in the bottom of the third inning.
A Parks Harber home run to left center knotted the game at five, until Cozart struck against, driving in three runs on a home run to right field to make it an 8-5 NC State lead.
The Tar Heels chipped away, adding two runs in the seventh and one run in the eighth to tie the game at eight, until Butterworth finished things off with his first hit of the night.
Every player for NC State had at least one hit against UNC.
Pitcher Derrick Smith finished with the win, allowing one run and one hit in two innings. Sophomore Shane Van Dam impressed in 3.2 innings out of the bullpen with five strikeouts while allowing two runs.
NC State and UNC play Game 2 of the series at Doak Field on Friday at 6 p.m. with Game 3 on Saturday.
