NC State softball falls in first game of Syracuse weekend series

NC State softball traveled up to Syracuse, New York to play in an ACC weekend series hoping to get back in the win column but ultimately falling 4-2 in the first game.

The Wolfpack (13-25, 4-9 ACC) came into this game coming off of a tough Purple & Gold Challenge last weekend where the team went 1-4. The Orange (11-17-1, 2-9-1 ACC) is looking to improve its record after being swept by Louisville in ACC play.

Freshman right-handed pitcher Madison Inscoe got the start on the mound for the Pack and was able to keep the momentum from swinging too much in favor of Syracuse. In the four innings she pitched, Inscoe notched one strikeout and allowed two runs. Freshman right-hander Rylee Wyman took over in the circle after the fourth inning and held the Orange to two runs herself.

It was a slow day in the batter’s box for both teams as neither could get more than 10 hits, and NC State didn’t pick up a run until the team’s last at-bat. In the seventh inning, sophomore third baseman Hannah Goodwin popped a fly ball to right field that allowed freshman right fielder Ellie Goins to go home and score the Pack’s first run. Later that inning when the Pack had two outs, graduate center fielder Rebecca Murray made it home and finished off the red-and-white’s scoring for the evening.

While NC State failed to light it up in the batter’s box, strong fielding from the Wolfpack helped keep the Orange below five runs. Goodwin recorded four assists, and sophomore second baseman Taylor Ensley notched two of her own. Freshman catcher Amanda Hasler and freshman shortstop Makayla Marbury gained one assist each.

Goins had the most impressive play of the night for the Wolfpack when she made a reaching catch in right field. With the Orange up 1-0 in the bottom of the second, Goins made a spectacular catch on a fly ball hit by Syracuse’s Rebecca Clyde, ending the inning.

𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗦, 𝗢𝗛 𝗠𝗬🤯She gets the wild catch to bring up out three!@ncaasoftball | @accsoftball pic.twitter.com/ba1VPJ25En

— NC State Softball (@PackSoftball) April 6, 2023

Junior first baseman Haley Haislip totaled nine putouts, and Marbury tacked on four.

Syracuse gained more momentum in the fifth inning as the Orange scored two runs during that frame alone. While Syracuse’s previous runs were separated by innings and scored on a different pitcher, the Orange could still make the ball turn into offensive gold. Neither team scored a home run this game, and half of the total runs were scored on groundouts or pop flies.

This was just the first game of a three-game series for the Pack against the Orange, with the second game set to start at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 7.