WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Wake Forest earned its first series win over NC State since 2002, earning a doubleheader split against the 20th-ranked Wolfpack at David F. Couch Ballpark on Saturday.
NC State (8-8, 1-2 ACC) tallied a come-from-behind win in the opener, 8-5, but the Demon Deacons (12-5, 2-1 ACC) bounced back with a 6-5 victory in 11 innings in the rubber game to clinch the series, two games to one.
Stuart Fairchild finished the day 6-for-9 with a double, triple, homer, four RBIs and four runs scored, including the game-winner in the nightcap on a walkoff sacrifice fly by Johnny Aiello.
After taking the loss in the first game, John McCarren (2-1) pitched a 1-2-3 11th inning to earn the victory in the nightcap.
Game 2: Wake Forest 6, NC State 5 (11 inn.)
Wake Forest jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but a five-run eighth inning by the Wolfpack helped send the game into extras.
In the bottom of the 11th, Stuart Fairchild led off with a triple to the wall in right-center. Gavin Sheets and Ben Breazeale followed with intentional walks.
With NC State playing with five infielders, Johnny Aiello hit a fly ball to deep center, which was caught and allowed Fairchild to score on a walkoff sacrifice fly.
Fairchild, who finished the game with four hits, started things out with a solo homer in the first to set a new career-high with six homers. He then added an RBI single in the fifth to double Wake Forest's lead to 2-0.
Gavin Sheets and Ben Breazeale followed with sacrifice flies in the inning to make the score 4-0, and a Bruce Steel solo homer in the sixth pushed the lead to 5-0.
NC State scored all five of its runs in the eighth. Josh McLain drew a bases-loaded walk to make the score 5-1, then Will Wilson hit the first pitch of Griffin Roberts' outing out of the yard for a grand slam to even the score at 5-5.
Roberts settled in after that and struck out five in 2.2 innings before handing the ball off to McCarren for the win. Donnie Sellersstarted and, despite allowing just seven baserunners, was tagged with four runs in 7.1 innings on four hits, two walks and six strikeouts.
The Wolfpack used eight total pitchers in the second game, with starter Dalton Feeney tossing 3.0 innings of one-run ball. None of the seven relievers went more than 1.1 innings, with Christian Demby taking the loss after pitching the 11th.
Game 1: NC State 8, Wake Forest 5
Wake Forest used a big fourth inning to take a 5-1 lead, but NC State scored seven unanswered runs to claim the win.
Stuart Fairchild drilled an RBI double in the first to open the scoring and the Wolfpack used a sacrifice fly to tie it at 1-1 in the top of the fourth.
Bruce Steel and Keegan Maronpot led off the fourth with back-to-back jacks, Wake Forest's first since Nate Mondou and Will Craig in 2015, to retake a 3-1 lead. Fairchild and Gavin Sheets added back-to-back RBI singles to push the advantage to 5-1.
Brett Kinneman hit a three-run blast in the fifth to bring the Wolfpack within one before they took the lead for good in the sixth. NC State used two infield singles, four walks and an error to post a four-run inning, closing out the scoring for the game.
Connor Johnstone matched his career-high with six strikeouts in 5.0 innings in a no decision. John McCarren surrendered four unearned runs in 0.2 innings to take the loss. Morgan McSweeney (1.1 innings) and Drew Loepprich (2.0) recorded scoreless outings in relief.
Joe O'Donnell and Austin Staley settled the game down for NC State, holding the Deacs scoreless in their combined 5.1 innings of work. O'Donnell (2-0) earned the win 2ith 3.1 frames of two-hit ball, while Staley picked up the save with 2.0 innings of one-hit ball.
Jonathan Pryor, Jake Mueller, Fairchild and Keegan Maronpot each had two-hit efforts for the Deacs.
MONKEY OFF THE BACK
• Wake Forest entered the weekend having dropped 14 straight series to the Wolfpack, winning a three-game set for the first time since 2002.
• The Deacs also claimed 2-of-3 after losing the previous six meetings.
WALKS ARE KEY
• In the first game of the doubleheader, Wake Forest pitchers walked 10 batters, including five in innings NC State scored runs.
• The tide turned in the second game with the Deacs drawing 11 walks, including five in innings Wake Forest scored.
ON DECK
• The Demon Deacons hit the road for five straight, beginning with a Tuesday afternoon game at High Point.
• Then, Wake Forest continues ACC play over the weekend with a trip to Durham, to play Duke at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
NC State (8-8, 1-2 ACC) tallied a come-from-behind win in the opener, 8-5, but the Demon Deacons (12-5, 2-1 ACC) bounced back with a 6-5 victory in 11 innings in the rubber game to clinch the series, two games to one.
Stuart Fairchild finished the day 6-for-9 with a double, triple, homer, four RBIs and four runs scored, including the game-winner in the nightcap on a walkoff sacrifice fly by Johnny Aiello.
After taking the loss in the first game, John McCarren (2-1) pitched a 1-2-3 11th inning to earn the victory in the nightcap.
Game 2: Wake Forest 6, NC State 5 (11 inn.)
Wake Forest jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but a five-run eighth inning by the Wolfpack helped send the game into extras.
In the bottom of the 11th, Stuart Fairchild led off with a triple to the wall in right-center. Gavin Sheets and Ben Breazeale followed with intentional walks.
With NC State playing with five infielders, Johnny Aiello hit a fly ball to deep center, which was caught and allowed Fairchild to score on a walkoff sacrifice fly.
Fairchild, who finished the game with four hits, started things out with a solo homer in the first to set a new career-high with six homers. He then added an RBI single in the fifth to double Wake Forest's lead to 2-0.
Gavin Sheets and Ben Breazeale followed with sacrifice flies in the inning to make the score 4-0, and a Bruce Steel solo homer in the sixth pushed the lead to 5-0.
NC State scored all five of its runs in the eighth. Josh McLain drew a bases-loaded walk to make the score 5-1, then Will Wilson hit the first pitch of Griffin Roberts' outing out of the yard for a grand slam to even the score at 5-5.
Roberts settled in after that and struck out five in 2.2 innings before handing the ball off to McCarren for the win. Donnie Sellersstarted and, despite allowing just seven baserunners, was tagged with four runs in 7.1 innings on four hits, two walks and six strikeouts.
The Wolfpack used eight total pitchers in the second game, with starter Dalton Feeney tossing 3.0 innings of one-run ball. None of the seven relievers went more than 1.1 innings, with Christian Demby taking the loss after pitching the 11th.
Game 1: NC State 8, Wake Forest 5
Wake Forest used a big fourth inning to take a 5-1 lead, but NC State scored seven unanswered runs to claim the win.
Stuart Fairchild drilled an RBI double in the first to open the scoring and the Wolfpack used a sacrifice fly to tie it at 1-1 in the top of the fourth.
Bruce Steel and Keegan Maronpot led off the fourth with back-to-back jacks, Wake Forest's first since Nate Mondou and Will Craig in 2015, to retake a 3-1 lead. Fairchild and Gavin Sheets added back-to-back RBI singles to push the advantage to 5-1.
Brett Kinneman hit a three-run blast in the fifth to bring the Wolfpack within one before they took the lead for good in the sixth. NC State used two infield singles, four walks and an error to post a four-run inning, closing out the scoring for the game.
Connor Johnstone matched his career-high with six strikeouts in 5.0 innings in a no decision. John McCarren surrendered four unearned runs in 0.2 innings to take the loss. Morgan McSweeney (1.1 innings) and Drew Loepprich (2.0) recorded scoreless outings in relief.
Joe O'Donnell and Austin Staley settled the game down for NC State, holding the Deacs scoreless in their combined 5.1 innings of work. O'Donnell (2-0) earned the win 2ith 3.1 frames of two-hit ball, while Staley picked up the save with 2.0 innings of one-hit ball.
Jonathan Pryor, Jake Mueller, Fairchild and Keegan Maronpot each had two-hit efforts for the Deacs.
MONKEY OFF THE BACK
• Wake Forest entered the weekend having dropped 14 straight series to the Wolfpack, winning a three-game set for the first time since 2002.
• The Deacs also claimed 2-of-3 after losing the previous six meetings.
WALKS ARE KEY
• In the first game of the doubleheader, Wake Forest pitchers walked 10 batters, including five in innings NC State scored runs.
• The tide turned in the second game with the Deacs drawing 11 walks, including five in innings Wake Forest scored.
ON DECK
• The Demon Deacons hit the road for five straight, beginning with a Tuesday afternoon game at High Point.
• Then, Wake Forest continues ACC play over the weekend with a trip to Durham, to play Duke at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
