NC State softball drops opening two games of series to No. 5 Duke

The Wolfpack couldn’t manage an upset win against Duke, unable to solve the Blue Devils’ pitching in either of the first two games of the series.

Despite putting itself in a position to win late in the first game, NC State (27-22, 3-17 ACC) couldn’t find any more magic in the subsequent contest, falling to Duke (41-6, 19-4 ACC) 6-1. Going up against two pitchers in the top 20 for ERA, NC State managed 6 hits and three runs in the first matchup, but the bats cooled off in the second game with just one hit and one run in the loss.

The Wolfpack continues to struggle against conference opponents, notching just three game wins and zero series wins throughout the season.

“We’ll check the film out and hopefully make a better plan,” said head coach Lindsay Leftwich. “All you can do is just keep playing one pitch at a time and hope that the good things fall into place.”

Game 1

Starting on the mound for the Wolfpack was sophomore right-handed pitcher Rylee Wyman who, despite a shaky start, pitched all seven innings to earn her sixth complete game of the season. After hitting the first batter and walking the second, Wyman found a groove and got three consecutive outs to escape the inning.

The score-saving outs didn’t come soon enough for Wyman and the Pack to begin the top of the second, however. A pair of singles and a stolen base put two runners in scoring position for the Blue Devils and a line out to left field scored one of them. With a single coming sophomore shortstop MaKayla Marbury’s way, Marbury made the heads-up play to throw home and stop Duke from doubling its lead.

Marbury was making plays at shortstop all game long, recording nine assists and a put-out. Whether she was making a fielding read to create a double play or zipping the ball over to first, Marbury was dialed in.

Scoring resumed in the fourth after a scoreless third inning saw both sides leave two runners on base. Francesca Frelick, Duke’s designated hitter, battled with Wyman on an eight-pitch at-bat but came out on top hitting a home run to center field doubling their lead.

It took no time at all for the Wolfpack to respond, doing so with a homerun of its own. On the second pitch she saw, sophomore catcher Amanda Hasler went yard to left field to cut the deficit to one.

Wyman, Marbury and Hasler make up a few of a strong sophomore class for Leftwich and the Wolfpack.

“Since we are so young, it only means we are up from here,” Marbury said. “We have time to develop more especially with our new coaches [who] are doing really well teaching us new stuff and being open-minded.”

Crossing the plate twice, including a homer to center field in the top of the seventh, Duke first baseman Claire Davidson gave the Blue Devils a three-run lead entering the final inning of a play. That didn’t stop this young Pack team from fighting back into the game.

On a couple of walks and a single, NC State loaded the bases with one out. Junior right fielder Taylor Ensley stepped up to hit a two-RBI single to bring the Pack within one. With the game on the line, Hasler had a runner in scoring position, but a key strikeout from Duke’s left-handed pitcher Cassidy Curd crushed the hopes of an upset.

“We’re fighting, and that’s all you can really ask for at the end of the day,” Marbury said. “It shows that our team is really gritty and we fight.”

Game 2

After the previous matchup, the Wolfpack knew it could contend and looked to steal game two from the Blue Devils. However, the Pack couldn’t create any momentum in the batter’s box, notching just one hit in the contest. Consistency in the batter’s box has been a continuing issue for NC State.

“We swung way more passively than we did yesterday,” Leftwich said. “I think if we just attacked in the plan better, we probably would have seen different and better outcomes.”

Curd shut down the Wolfpack offense, allowing just one hit and five strikeouts throughout her five innings played. Duke pitcher Lillie Walker closed the final two innings, holding the Pack hitless with zero walks.

Redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Aisha Weixlmann started in the circle for the red-and-white, playing for all seven innings. An early strikeout on the first at-bat seemed like a good omen for the Pack, but a quick triple and two runs in the following three at-bats set the tone for the rest of the game. Weixlmann finished the game with three strikeouts and allowed six hits along with six earned runs.

The Pack showed improvements in the field with zero errors, but couldn’t do much against the Duke’s three home runs, which accounted for four of the Blue Devils’ six runs.

Hasler was one of the only bright spots for the Wolfpack, her team-leading 16th home run of the season in the third inning was the only run on the day for the Wolfpack. Hasler leads the Pack with 48 hits and 42 RBIs. The former No. 10 recruit has seen a drastic improvement in the batter’s box, nearly doubling her runs and home runs count from the previous season.

“She did a much better job today of controlling her forward move better,” Leftwich said. “She did a good job of just putting herself in the best spot to be successful today.”

The Wolfpack will stay in Raleigh for the final game of the series on Sunday, April 28. The first pitch is set for 4 p.m.