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Late-Inning Collapse Costs NC State

The Wolfpack was close to winning the series on Saturday, but crumbled in the eighth inning.
Tucker Sennett|
NC State catcher Drew Lanphere slides into home during the Wolfpack's 12-5 loss to Boston College on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
NC State catcher Drew Lanphere slides into home during the Wolfpack's 12-5 loss to Boston College on Saturday, March 14, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

RALEIGH — No. 10 NC State looked to have turned a corner with a gritty 4-2 victory over Boston College in the opener of the conference slate, but that wasn't the case on Saturday. The Eagles responded with late-inning rallies, including an eight-run eighth inning, to overcome the Wolfpack and tie the series with a 12-5 victory.

The Pack will have to find a way to win on Sunday if it wants to survive its first conference series, but Saturday was certainly demoralizing. Elliott Avent's team executed well in some key moments, but it proved futile as Boston College put up the crooked number to break the game open.

Wolfpack lineup and stats

  1. CF Ty Head: 1-5, RBI
  2. 1B Chris McHugh: 1-5
  3. DH Dalton Bargo: 0-4 -- PH Andrew Wiggins: 0-1
  4. SS Mikey Ryan: 3-5, R, RBI, K
  5. 2B Luke Nixon: 1-4, R, K
  6. 3B Sherman Johnson: 0-2, RBI
  7. RF Brayden Fraasman: 0-3, RBI
  8. C Drew Lanphere: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, HR (2)
  9. LF Rett Johnson: 3-3, R, BB

RHP Jacob Dudan: 7 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, BB, 7 K
LHP Luke Hemric: IP, R, ER, BB
RHP Collins Black: IP, 3 H, 7 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, L (2-1)
RHP Truitt Manuel: IP, BB

What happened to the Wolfpack?

NC State did what it needed to do to help Dudan settle into the game, earning him a two-run lead by the bottom of the second inning. The powerful righty grinded his way through the game despite dealing with traffic throughout most of his seven innings of work. He still carved through the Eagles and left the game tied when he walked off the mound.

The eighth-inning meltdown was somewhat shocking. Hemric, the freshman lefty, showed no fear during his first few outings, but did struggle with his control at times. Those control issues proved to be costly, as he walked the first batter he faced in the inning. Avent and pitching coach Clint Chrysler pulled the plug quickly, calling upon Black to escape a jam. He had the same issues with control, while the Eagles punished mistakes and took advantage of costly errors.

In his return to the starting lineup, Lanphere was his usual self defensively. However, his pop at the plate helped the Wolfpack offense, as he mashed his second home run of the season. Lanphere and Ryan accounted for most of the offense, while Rett Johnson chipped in a three-hit day as well.

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Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.

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