#20 NC State Notches Series-Opening Win at #7 Florida State

Friday, May 3

Tallahassee, Fla.

6 p.m.

NC State

26-17, 13-9

Florida State

34-10, 13-9

NC State

Florida State

#20 NC State Notches Series-Opening Win at #7 Florida State

5/3/2024 11:36:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 20 NC State baseball team earned a series-opening 8-7 victory at No. 7 Florida State on Friday night at Dick Howser Stadium. The Wolfpack notched its fifth top-10 victory and handed the Seminoles just their second home ACC loss of the season.

Left-hander Cooper Consiglio entered the game for NC State in the fourth inning with a 6-5 lead and tossed four straight scoreless frames to preserve the Wolfpack's lead. Consiglio faced the minimum over those four innings, striking out three batters while allowing just one hit. The southpaw from Palm Harbor, Florida native earned the win Friday for his second collegiate victory.

Florida State scored its first two runs off Consiglio in the bottom of the eighth to make it an 8-7 game. Derrick Smith then entered the contest with one out and the tying run on second base, using a pair of strikeouts to keep NC State ahead entering the ninth. Smith's second strikeout came with the bases loaded, needing just three pitches to get Florida State second baseman Cal Fisher to strike out swinging. Smith then retired the top of FSU's lineup in order in the ninth to nail down his fourth save of the season.

Florida State (34-10, 13-9 ACC) jumped out to an early lead after James Tibbs III smacked an RBI double for a 1-0 edge. NC State (26-17, 13-9 ACC) responded immediately when Jacob Cozart opened the top of the second with a solo home run to right field, knotting the score at 1-1. Cozart's 15^th homer of the season was his ninth home run in his past nine games.

Cozart's solo home run sparked a four-run frame for the Wolfpack as NC State grabbed a 4-1 lead heading to the bottom of the second. The Wolfpack batted around in the second frame as Matt Heavner put NC State ahead 2-1 with an infield RBI single. Chase Nixon then doubled the Pack's run total after beating out an infield single to shortstop, advancing to second base on a throwing error by shortstop Alex Lodise. The throwing error allowed two runners to score to make it 4-1 NC State.

After a wild pitch trimmed Florida State's deficit to 4-2, the Wolfpack grabbed its largest lead with two runs in the top of the third. Heavner pushed a bunt down the first-base line, allowing Luke Nixon to speed home from third base to re-establish the Pack's three-run lead at 5-2. Heavner notched his second RBI on the fielder's choice sacrifice bunt before Eli Serrano III made it 6-2 with a two-out RBI single through the right side.

A 1 hour, 43-minute weather delay halted the Wolfpack's momentum as Florida State cut NC State's lead to 6-5 behind homers from Tibbs III and Marco Dinges in the bottom of the third.

Alec Makarewicz crushed his team-high 18^th homer of the season to extend the Wolfpack's lead to 7-5 in the top of the sixth, driving the 46^th home run of his college career over the towering chain-linked fence in right-center at Dick Howser Stadium. Makarewicz's homer was NC State's second leadoff homer of the night after Cozart led off the second inning with a solo shot.

The Pack tacked on its eighth run with two outs in the top of the eighth. NC State manufactured its second run of the night with two outs after three straight two-out walks loaded the bases for Heavner. Reliever Connor Hults then tossed a wild pitch to allow Brandon Butterworth to speed home from third base.

Prior to Friday night's rain delay, NC State's offense strung together nine hits off Florida State ace Jamie Arnold, the most Arnold has allowed in a start this season. The Wolfpack never trailed after its four-run frame in the top of the second and handed Arnold just his second loss of the season.

Noah Soles, who last played March 29 due to injury, returned to the lineup in Friday's victory and delivered a multi-hit performance, reaching base four times with a double and two runs scored.

Five Wolfpack hitters – Makarewicz, Luke Nixon, Soles, Heavner and Serrano III – recorded multi-hit performances. Heavner paced the Pack with two RBI.

UP NEXT
No. 20 NC State continues its series against the Seminoles on Saturday at Dick Howser Stadium. Saturday's contest is set for 7 p.m. and will be televised on ACC Network.