Wolfpack softball shuts down Gardner-Webb in doubleheader

The NC State softball team swept a doubleheader with the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs on Saturday, Feb. 27, at Dail Softball Stadium 6-0 and 7-0, respectively. The duo of matchups saw a few firsts from the Pack as freshman right-handed pitcher Brooklyn Lucero made her first collegiate appearance and freshman infielder Kaylee Lambrecht homered for her first collegiate hit.

The first game of the two games saw redshirt freshman left-handed pitcher Sam Gress make a no-hit bid after redshirt sophomore Sydney Nester pitched four innings of no-hit softball on Friday, Feb 26 in a 4-1 State victory. Gress would end up allowing one hit through six shutout innings.

NC State got off to an early start offensively when redshirt senior outfielder Angie Rizzi a two-run homer in the bottom of the first.

“Once we hit [home runs] early, then it’s our own challenge within the game to see who’s going to hit it next and who’s going to hit it further,” said head coach Jennifer Patrick-Swift. “We’re always looking to hit the long ball so when you can hit six in a day, that’s definitely a good way to do it.”

Gardner-Webb left nine runners on base over the course of the game, but did manage to muster a hit before it was all over. After hitting a batter to lead off the fifth inning and Runnin’ Bulldog bunt to advance the runner to second, Gress allowed her first hit of the game on an infield single.

There was no time to dwell on this though, as Gress’ second walk of the afternoon loaded the bases with just one out. Gress dug in and put away the next two batters on a strikeout and then a fly-out to center to escape the jam.

“We had a few defensive miscues, that kind of made that tough...” Patrick-Swift said. “[Gardner-Webb] didn’t really barrel her up all day long, so that was good. They just put the ball in play a little bit more, we were a little bit more outside of the zone, but it was definitely good to see her come back and finish that inning and for [freshman left-handed pitcher Estelle Czech] to come in and shut everything down.”

The Wolfpack flicked the offense switch back in the bottom of the sixth, notching two more home runs. Redshirt junior outfielder Carson Shaner smoked the first pitch of the frame over the wall to extend the lead to 3-0. After Gress reached first base on a hit by pitch and redshirt freshman Libby Whitaker drew a pinch-hit walk, a wild pitch put both runners in scoring position for redshirt junior catcher Sam Sack. Sack whacked a no-doubt four-bagger over the center-field fence to double the Pack’s lead to 6-0.

Czech would relieve Gress in the 7th, notching two strikeouts to see the 6-0 victory through for State.

The latter game of the doubleheader saw another noteworthy performance from the pitcher’s circle as Lucero made her collegiate debut. The Colorado native did not disappoint, tossing five shutout innings of her own. 

“I was proud of myself today because I’ve been working pretty hard this semester,” Lucero said. “The first semester was a challenge, getting here, but I’m definitely proud of myself and how I’ve worked hard these past couple of months.”

Lucero became locked in a pitcher’s duel through the first few innings. Gardner-Webb right-handed pitcher Brooke Perry started the second game for the Runnin’ Bulldogs. The two righties shut down batters in the first two innings before Perry started showing cracks in her armor in the third inning.

The top of the Wolfpack lineup revived its offense in the third. Redshirt senior Tayana Forbes slotted a ground ball through the left side of the infield with one out. Freshman utility player Laine Marak pinch ran for Forbes before redshirt junior Logan Morris launched a two-run homer to straightaway center to give State a 2-0 lead. 

After a 1-2-3 inning from Lucero in the top of the fourth, NC State added to its lead with a two-out rally in the bottom of the frame, doubling its lead as Lambrecht notched her first collegiate hit in style with another two-run home run.

“[Lambrecht] is a great kid, she knows the game,” Patrick-Swift said. “She’s a hard, quiet worker; she’s been really working hard behind the scenes. ...She’s used to hitting doubles and singles, and when she got here we [said], ‘no, you can hit home runs. The ball can fly off your bat.’ The last couple of weeks she really has started to believe in that, so to see that happen and everything come together for her was super exciting for her.”

Redshirt junior Sam Russ was eager not to get left out of the scoring action despite her uncharacteristic hitting performance, using her speed to help the Pack secure its fifth run of the day.

The Pack did not let off the gas in the fifth either, adding two more runs for a 7-0 lead. This flurry of offense also included the long ball, as Rizzi went yard to left to make it 6-0. State used some more heads-up baserunning to score another run, as Morris scampered home on a passed ball to add that seventh run.

“We’re always trying to get the next base and get the free base, so to speak,” Patrick-Swift said. “We’re looking to read balls down, looking to read change-ups and I thought we did a really good job of that today. When you see [the ball] in the air, if you think you can beat it to the next base then let’s push it and they did. I thought we were really focused and heads-up and anticipating on the bases instead of reacting today.”

Lucero’s debut would conclude after five innings of shutout softball, as Czech made another relief appearance to start the sixth. Czech proceeded to surrender two singles before Patrick-Swift made a mound visit to talk things over. Czech quickly regained her composure, inducing a ground ball to Morris who stepped on third base for the force out and fired to first for the double play. Czech then retired the final batter on strikes to escape the two-on, no-out pickle.

Just your casual 5-3 double play. 💻 https://t.co/DGQ3Czz3YF pic.twitter.com/z44Q0v3vnu

— NC State Softball (@PackSoftball) February 27, 2021

In the final frame Czech took care of business and retired the Runnin’ Bulldogs in order to secure the 7-0 Wolfpack win.

“We’ve been working really hard, [assistant coach Chelsea Wilkinson] as well, on trying to get her speed back up,” Patrick-Swift said. “That’s what we’ve been able to do in the past couple of weeks. The difference between her first outing when she was throwing 61 and 63 [miles per hour] and today she’s throwing 65 [miles per hour] is a big difference, especially coming from the left-hand side. Teams see 61 and 63 [miles per hour] every day. When you can throw 65 [miles per hour], change speeds with your different pitches and utilize the change-up that’s what has made her that much more effective, so we’re glad to have her speed back up."

Patrick-Swift was satisfied with the weekend’s big wins after four of the Pack’s first six games were decided by one run.

“It’s one of those things where it doesn’t matter,” Patrick-Swift said. “We’re trying to score in the first, obviously. With our lineup and the power that we have, it’s expected. At the same time, we’re working on pushing the gas. When we go up a couple early on...we want to be able to shut games out and shut the door when we have the ability to do so.”

The Wolfpack will finish out its series against Gardner-Webb on Sunday, Feb. 28, at Dail Softball Stadium. The game will air at noon on ACC Network Extra.