NC State bests Pitt to advance to final
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CHARLOTTE, NC -- NC State scored five runs in a three-homer first inning and utilized solid starting pitching from Canaan Silver to defeat Pittsburgh, 8-3, at Truist Park in the second semifinal of the 2022 ACC Baseball Championship.
The win moves the Wolfpack (36-20) into the final against a Triangle neighbor for a second straight season. Next up will be a showdown against North Carolina, who won its semifinal matchup with Notre Dame, 7-2. Last season the Pack lost the championship game, 1-0, to Duke.
It is also the second consecutive season that NC State has eliminated Pitt from the tournament.
"I am just really proud of the players," NC State head coach Elliott Avent said. "Playing the Tuesday/Wednesday games was really tough. I'm really proud of the way they played this week and today. That's a really good Pitt team. They're well-coached."
The Wolfpack jumped out to a, 5-0, lead after one inning. Devonte Brown led off the bottom half of the frame with a solo homer to right-center field. Two batters later, Tommy White broke the NCAA record for most home runs by a freshman with his 27th long ball of the campaign.
After Josh Hood walked and Noah Soles sliced a double to right-center, J.T. Jarrett drove in a run with a groundout. Dominic Pilolli then followed with a mammoth homer along the right field line to scored Soles and hand NC State an advantage it would never lose.
"Really the two solo home runs aren't going to beat you," Pitt head coach Mike Bell said. "I thought the key part of the inning was the walk, the double, J.T Jarrett not striking out and putting the ball in play. Then they come back with two outs and tack on another home run. Those were the big at-bats."
Silver 5.2 innings to pick up the victory and improve to 8-1 on the season.
The Panthers (29-27) would battle throughout the contest, but NC State always had a response. Pitt scored two runs in the top of the fourth, but the Wolfpack answered with three runs in its half of the inning to extends its lead to six runs.
Pitt scored a single run in the top of the seventh and threatened several times, including the top of the ninth when NC State called on Chris Villaman in relief of Justin Lawson with runners aboard. The lefty proceeded to strike out three straight Panthers to end the frame and send the Pack to Sunday.
NC State stranded 14 Pittsburgh runners on base.
"Canaan really set the tone," Avent said. "He had the one hiccup...but Canaan set a big-time tone. He's been so big for us all year."
NC State last won an ACC title in 1992. The matchup against UNC will be the seventh time the Wolfpack has played for the title since that championship season.
"I've felt like ... Marv Levy at times," Avent said. "I think this is going to be six ACC championships that we've played in since I have been here, but this is an unbelievably good league. To get to the championship game that many times and to get to this game [Sunday] after last year with an entirely new team pretty much is a great tribute to the players. All the coaching staff, we are just so proud of them."