Marbury Ends Home Opener with Walk-Off Homer in the Bottom of the Fifth

RALEIGH, N.C. - Junior utility player MaKayla Marbury secured the win for NC State softball with a two out, three-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the fifth inning against Northern Colorado on Friday, Feb. 21 at Dail Softball Stadium in the team's first game of the Marucci Classic.

The win marks the seventh of the season and second home opener won under the leadership of head coach Lindsay Leftwich.

How it Happened

Junior right handed pitcher Rylee Wyman started in the circle for the Pack and picked up two strikeouts in the opening frame.
With one out on the board, senior outfielder Taylor Ensley wasted no time smashing a ball to center field to put NC State on the board first and mark her third homer of the season.
Juniors Madison Inscoe and MaKayla Marbury both singled in the bottom of the first to put the Pack's hit total at three for the inning.
Wyman caught another two swinging in the top of the second to push her strikeout count to four.
Graduate infielder Michele Tarpey singled down the left field line to start the Pack off in the bottom of the second. After back-to-back fielder's choices and a walk, Inscoe recorded a sacrifice fly to bring Ellie Goins home and push the lead to two.
To lead off the bottom of the third, freshman Kendall Simmers worked a 3-1 count before drilling a ball down the left field line, past the outfield wall. The homer was her second of the season and pushed NC State ahead, 3-0.
Graduate Hannah Goodwin added a single of her own in the third, followed by a single from Tarpey to give NC State three hits in the frame.
Ella Gonzales recorded the Bears' first hit in the top of the fourth when she hit an infield single, but her chances of getting Northern Colorado on the board were cut short after Wyman picked up her fifth strikeout.
Taylor Ensley led off the bottom of the fourth with a double and freshman Lisey St. Jean entered to pinch run. With St. Jean on second, junior Hannah Church stepped into the box and doubled down the left line on the first pitch thrown her way.
After Simmers was walked, Marbury stepped into the box and hit the Pack's third double of the inning to drive Simmers home. The Pack led 5-0 through the first four innings.
Despite there being two outs on the board, Northern Colorado scored one in the top of the fifth after a double got past the Wolfpack outfielders.
With two outs on the board and two on base, Inscoe stepped into the box for her second at bat of the outing. She doubled to left field to drive home two and record her first hit of the outing.
In Simmers third at bat of the outing, she singled through the left side of the field to drive home one and advance another to second.
With two outs still on the board and an 0-1 count, Marbury smashed a ball to the netting in right center to record her first homer of the season and push NC State ahead, 11-1.
The win marked the first walk-off ending of the season and the first run-rule win for the Pack.
Wyman finished the outing with eighth strikeouts and moved to 2-1 on the season in the circle.

Next Up
The Pack will host Central Michigan at 3:30pm and Northern Colorado again at 6pm on Saturday, Feb. 22 at Dail Softball Stadium for the second day of the Marucci Classic. Both games will be streamed on ACCNX.

Marbury Ends Home Opener with Walk-Off Homer in the Bottom of the Fifth

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Team Stats

MaKayla Marbury

Taylor Ensley

Hannah Church

Kendall Simmers

Players Mentioned

Hannah Church

Taylor Ensley

Ellie Goins

Hannah Goodwin

Madison Inscoe

MaKayla Marbury

Kendall Simmers

Lisey St. Jean

Michele Tarpey

Rylee Wyman