North Carolina State University Athletics
Wednesday, May 6
Charlottesville, VA
1:30pm
NC State
27-26
5
vs
6
(5) #25/24 Louisville
44-11
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
| Louisville | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 0 |
Photo by: ANDREW HANCOCK
Late-Inning Rally Slips Away as Louisville Walks Off Pack at ACC Tournament
5/6/2026 5:50:00 PM | Softball
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – NC State dropped a tough 6–5 decision to No. 25 Louisville in the bottom of the seventh on Wednesday afternoon at Palmer Park in the first round of the ACC Tournament.
The Pack held a four-run lead midway through the contest, but Louisville rallied late, scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win.
The Cardinals struck first in the opening inning, using two NC State errors to plate an unearned run and take an early 1–0 lead. The Wolfpack answered in the third, as Sarah Johnson came around to score on a wild pitch to even the game at 1–1.
NC State took control in the fifth inning with its biggest offensive surge of the day. Hannah Church led off the frame with a solo home run, her seventh of the season, to give the Pack its first lead. After back-to-back singles, Carly Short drove in a run with an RBI knock, and Kendall Simmers followed with a two-RBI single to cap a four-run inning and push the advantage to 5–1.
Louisville responded in the bottom half of the inning, capitalizing on timely hitting to score three runs and cut the deficit to 5–4. Madison Pickens delivered the key blow with a two-RBI single.
The Wolfpack threatened to add insurance in the sixth, putting runners on the corners, but were unable to extend the lead.
In the seventh, Louisville completed the comeback. A leadoff double set the tone before Camryn Lookadoo delivered an RBI single to tie the game. Moments later, Pickens came through again, ripping a walk-off double to left field to bring home the winning run to walk it off.
NC State finished with 11 hits on the afternoon, led by Johnson's career 3-for-3 performance at the plate. Makayla Marbury added a pair of hits, while Simmers drove in two runs. Senior Rylee Wyman tossed four complete innings and struck out a game high five batters.
The Wolfpack ends its season 27-26 overall and had a 7-17 conference record.
The Pack held a four-run lead midway through the contest, but Louisville rallied late, scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win.
The Cardinals struck first in the opening inning, using two NC State errors to plate an unearned run and take an early 1–0 lead. The Wolfpack answered in the third, as Sarah Johnson came around to score on a wild pitch to even the game at 1–1.
NC State took control in the fifth inning with its biggest offensive surge of the day. Hannah Church led off the frame with a solo home run, her seventh of the season, to give the Pack its first lead. After back-to-back singles, Carly Short drove in a run with an RBI knock, and Kendall Simmers followed with a two-RBI single to cap a four-run inning and push the advantage to 5–1.
Louisville responded in the bottom half of the inning, capitalizing on timely hitting to score three runs and cut the deficit to 5–4. Madison Pickens delivered the key blow with a two-RBI single.
The Wolfpack threatened to add insurance in the sixth, putting runners on the corners, but were unable to extend the lead.
In the seventh, Louisville completed the comeback. A leadoff double set the tone before Camryn Lookadoo delivered an RBI single to tie the game. Moments later, Pickens came through again, ripping a walk-off double to left field to bring home the winning run to walk it off.
NC State finished with 11 hits on the afternoon, led by Johnson's career 3-for-3 performance at the plate. Makayla Marbury added a pair of hits, while Simmers drove in two runs. Senior Rylee Wyman tossed four complete innings and struck out a game high five batters.
The Wolfpack ends its season 27-26 overall and had a 7-17 conference record.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gray, Brooke (14-2)
L: Gore, Wynne (7-4)
Batting:
2B: Marbury, MaKayla 1
HR: Church, Hannah 1
RBI: Church, Hannah 1 ; Simmers, Kendall 2 ; Short, Carly 1
SH: Townsend, Maia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Marbury, MaKayla 1 ; Church, Hannah 1 ; Johnson, Sarah 2 ; Short, Carly 1
SB: Johnson, Sarah 1 ; Short, Carly 1
CS: Marbury, MaKayla 1
PO: Marbury, MaKayla 1
Batting:
2B: Despines, Bri 1 ; Pickens, Madison 1
RBI: Pickens, Madison 3 ; Lookadoo, Camryn 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Mack, Chelsea 1 ; Lotus, Easton 1 ; Despines, Bri 2 ; Lookadoo, Camryn 2
SB: Mack, Chelsea 1 ; Lookadoo, Camryn 1
HBP: Thatcher, Katie 1 ; Lookadoo, Camryn 1
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballBeyond the Howl with NC State Softball
Wednesday, April 22
Kayla's Comeback - ACL Rehab and Return
Wednesday, April 22
Kayla's Comeback
Wednesday, March 11
#BehindThe20 with former Pack Stars Abbie Sims and Renada Davis
Wednesday, April 24