Wolfpack Wins Series Against Notre Dame With Clutch Pitching and Hitting

Friday, April 3

Raleigh, NC

6 p.m.

NC State

20-11, 5-6

Notre Dame

15-11, 6-8

Notre Dame

NC State

Wolfpack Wins Series Against Notre Dame With Clutch Pitching and Hitting

4/3/2026 11:58:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State and Notre Dame entered the bottom of the seventh tied at 2-2. Facing Notre Dame ace Jack Radel, who had struck out 10 Wolfpack batters, Mikey Ryan stepped up and delivered an RBI double to give NC State a 4-3 lead. The Wolfpack went on to score four more runs across the seventh and eighth innings, finishing with a 7-3 victory to secure the series Friday night at the Doak.

Notre Dame (15-11, 6-8) had its opportunities late to tie or take the lead, but the Wolfpack (20-11, 5-6) bullpen was up to the task as Ryder Garino (2-1) pitched 2.1 innings, giving up just one run on three hits while striking out six batters.

Garino struck out the side in both the sixth and seventh innings. In the seventh, he left runners at the corners to maintain the tie.

Following Garino was Cooper Consiglio (2), who earned the save after entering the game at the top of the eighth inning following a Notre Dame home run and a 5-3 score. With nobody out, the Fighting Irish put the first two runners on with singles. That's all that would happen for the visitors as Consiglio retired the next three batters via strikeout to end the threat.

Consiglio had no problems in the ninth as he worked a quick 1-2-3 inning to secure the Wolfpack's 20^th victory of the season.

Ryan finished his day 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and two RBIs and scored twice; Sherman Johnson contributed two hits and an RBI. Ty Head hit his team-leading ninth home run of the season, while Luke Nixon homered for the second consecutive day. Rett Johnson picked up a hit and an RBI on his birthday.

Nixon's home run followed Ryan's double, giving the Pack some breathing room at 5-2.

Heath Andrews started for the Wolfpack and pitched 4.2 innings, giving up just one earned run on four hits, with four strikeouts and five walks.

In the first inning, Notre Dame scored first, but Andrews limited the damage to one run, leaving runners at first and third.

In the bottom of the second, Head tied the game with a home run to right field on an 0-2 pitch.

Brayden Fraasman doubled in the bottom of the fourth, then scored on a Johnson RBI single to put the Wolfpack ahead, making it 2-1.

Just like the Wolfpack, Notre Dame tied the game in the next inning, scoring with two outs.

Wolfpack pitching stranded 10 Notre Dame runners on base on the day, holding the Fighting Irish to just 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

NC State aims for its first ACC series sweep of the season as Jacob Dudan takes the mound for the Wolfpack. The series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Doak and will be broadcast on ACCNX.