NC State coaches choose bold strategy of letting a win turn to a loss; lose bet

State blows 3-run 9th inning lead in avoidable 9-8 loss to Liberty

There’s this weird thing about high-leverage relief arms: You don’t let them throw 38 pitches.

There’s this other thing about relievers: When they’re not throwing strikes, you don’t leave them out there.

NC State’s coaching staff chose to do both on Tuesday in Raleigh, and in the process blew a 3-run 9th inning lead in a 9-8 loss to Liberty.

Matt Willadsen got the start for State, allowing a 1st inning run before getting run in the 3rd after giving up four runs. In his first start since 2023, Willadsen looked fairly sharp over his first two frames, but he clearly needs more time to round into shape on the year.

State was able to scratch a run in the 2nd on a Ryan Jaros field’s choice groundout to score Josh Hogue, who led off the inning with a double.

With a 5-1 deficit, the Wolfpack put together a great rally in the bottom of the 4th, plating four runs to tie the game up. The bases were loaded without a ball leaving the infield and Luke Nixon brought in two runners on a single to left field. Two batters later, and again with the bases loaded, Chris McHugh doubled to left field to tie things up.

Brayden Fraasman led off the bottom of the 5th with a home run over the visiting bullpen to give State their first lead of the game at 6-5.

Things stayed there until the 8th when the Pack pushed across what appeared to be a pair of insurance runs on another McHugh single, aided by an error from the Liberty centerfielder that allowed the second of those runs to score. With Jacob Dudan coming in for the 9th inning, it appeared this one was over.

Only it wasn’t.

Dudan clearly wasn’t locating his slider and he walked two of the first three hitters he faced, needing 19 pitches to get through those three hitters. A ground ball to shortstop was bobbled by Justin DeCriscio and then compounded by a short-hop throw to first base, allowing a run to score. With runners on the corners, the next batter also hit a ground ball to shortstop, DeCriscio went with his momentum to first base for the out. Another run scored on the play.

At 28 pitches, Dudan was clearly gassed, but the coaching staff left him in there anyways.

Walk on five pitches, followed by a hit-by-pitch to load the bases.

Still, Dudan remained in.

On the first pitch to the next batter, Dudan offered a batting practice fastball that was put into right field for a 2-run, go-ahead double. A predictable outcome for a pitcher who was clearly out of gas.

The next hitter jumped on the first strike he saw and lined a ball to the left side of the field, but thankfully DeCriscio was able to snag it on a full extension dive.

State wasn’t able to muster anything in the bottom of the 9th, and thus what should have been a win went firmly into a loss.

This loss is squarely on the coaching staff, squandering a great rally and some nice relief efforts from Anderson Nance (3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K) and Andrew Shaffner (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K).

Nixon (2-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI), DeCriscio (2-for-2, R, 2 BB, HBP, 1-1 SB), McHugh (2-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI), Fraasman (2-for-5, 2B, HR, R, RBI), and Ty Head (2-for-3, R, 2 BB) each tallied multiple hits. Matt Ossenfort (1-for-3, R, BB, HBP) also reached base safely multiple times.

The Pack will now head off to Florida on a sour note as they take part in the Jax Classic this weekend. First up is Ohio State on Friday at 2:00pm, then Alabama at 4:00pm Saturday, and Coastal Carolina at 2:30pm Sunday.