Only 30% of NCAA Division I softball teams win 30 games in a season, but with their series sweep of Pittsburgh, the Wolfpack joins that group. A 6-18 conference record doesn’t tell the whole story about this NC State team. The team has fought and kept close games throughout the season despite the unfavorable conditions.
Head coach Lindsey Leftwich said, “Our record does not represent who we have become or what we have done.” “I understand where we are going, where we are trying to go, where we have grown from, but it is definitely not enough and I don’t know how we wanted to end this year. But I’m proud of them for finding a way to fight through.”Here’s the final word. ”
The Pack (30-23, 6-18) defeated Pitt (17-32, 6-18) for its first ACC series win of the season with a 9-2 and 8-4 victory in Friday’s doubleheader. . . Then, on Saturday, the Red and White team defeated the Panthers in a close game 4-2, completing the clean sweep.
The Pack’s strength of conference schedule was one of the toughest in the ACC this year. State played all six of the top teams in the ACC, five of which were ranked in the top 30 nationally by season’s end.
The series against Pitt was the second time this season they have faced a bottom-ranked ACC team in the conference. Through three games, the Pack was behind for less than half an inning.
Less than a third of the team is made up of upperclassmen, but they brought firepower into the final week of the season. Through the first two games of the series, junior right fielder Taylor Ensley went 4-6 from the batter’s box, including a home run and three runs scored.
On Friday, senior second baseman Kaylee Lambrecht was recognized before the start of the first game, along with senior outfielder Gracie Roberts and redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Aisha Weischulman.
After recording just one hit in the first two games, the senior left his mark on the program in the final game of the season. Lambrecht hit the fielder with the first of his two hits in the game, giving him his 100th career hit. She also singled in the sixth inning, bringing home her final RBI of the season.
“She was struggling a little bit earlier in the year, so it was really cool to see her just keep pushing,” Leftwich said. “So it was great for her to come out on the last day and swing big and it was a hat-off moment for her.”
A veteran presence over Senior Day weekend combined with a young core firing on all cylinders propelled the Pack to three solid wins.
Sophomore catcher Amanda Hassler also added two home runs and three RBIs, bringing her season totals to 18 home runs and 45 RBIs, respectively. The sophomore has taken a big step forward at the plate, leading the team in both numbers. Starting with his freshman season, Hassler doubled his home run count and also recorded 17 RBIs.
Another sophomore who had an impressive two days was sophomore center fielder Ellie Goins, who had three RBIs in Game 3, including a two-run homer to break a 0-0 deadlock in the fourth inning. Recorded.
Throughout the weekend, Goins had center field marked as a no-fly zone due to his multiple caution-track catches and highlight-reel efforts to prevent Pitt from scoring. Her efforts on the field make it difficult to exclude her from Gold Glove consideration.
Failing to pick up a win against Duke the previous weekend, NC State ended its season for the second straight year before a game against Pitt and the ACC Tournament. Results haven’t always paid off for this young team and first-year head coach, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this team is fighting for the top seed in the ACC next spring.
“We learned a lot,” Leftwich said. “You appeal to those returning home that you never want to feel like this again, and you never want it to end on May 4th.”
