N.C. State Rides Early Rally To 4-2 Win Over Northwestern

2/18/2018 1:45:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

RALEIGH, N.C. – N.C. State got an early outburst Sunday in the finale of the ACC/B1G Challenge, using a three-run second inning to keep Northwestern at arm's length in a 4-2 defeat for the Wildcats.

Northwestern now is 5-4 overall on the season following the loss, concluding the tournament with a 1-3 record. N.C. State also is 5-4 on the year with its win Sunday.

Northwestern is back in action February 23-25 at the prestigious Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif.

Senior Nicole Bond got the start in the circle in her home state of North Carolina, and breezed through a perfect top of the first with two strikeouts. In the top of the second, however, she ran into trouble and was charged with three runs. Midway through the rally, Morgan Newport entered in relief in a bases-loaded situation. She surrendered one run on a single, then got a comebacker to erase a runner at the plate before a strikeout left the bases loaded and NU still within shouting distance of the Wolfpack, 3-0.

Northwestern got runners aboard with leadoff singles in the second and third thanks to Morgan Nelson and Abbey Boyd, but each time N.C. State kept NU from scoring. In the fourth, however, Rachel Lewis gave the Wolfpack no shot at stranding a runner, pounding a booming solo home run over the wall in center to get NU on the board, 3-1.

The blast was Lewis' second in her ninth collegiate softball game.

N.C. State got that run back in the top of the fifth, then Sammy Nettling led off the bottom half with a ripped double into the right-center field gap. Boyd made a productive out to get Nettling to third, at which point N.C. State removed starter Kama Woodall in favor of Devin Wallace. The new pitcher got a couple of groundouts that left Nettling standing at third when the inning ended and the score still 4-1.

In the sixth, the Wolfpack's defense showed their full teeth, robbing Marissa Panko of a hit on a ball toward third, Lewis of extra bases with a leaping catch of a liner at second and then Kenna Wilkey of a base knock on a ball up the middle.

Wilkey entered the circle for the seventh and stranded two Wolfpack runners herself in a scoreless frame. In the bottom of the seventh, Lily Novak worked her way into a full count before being hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Nettling followed with a walk to push Novak to second before Summer Hargett singled into center field. Novak moved to third and the centerfielder lazily kicked it around, allowing an alert Novak to race home and cut the deficit to two, 4-2.

Later, with one out, Sabrina Rabin grounded out on the infield and both Wildcats on base moved up, getting the tying run into scoring position. That's all the farther they would travel, however, in the loss.

Bond (0-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on one hit and four walks with two strikeouts. Newport went 4.2 innings of relief, surrendering one run on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Wilkey tossed the final inning,