NC State baseball falls to Kentucky on walk-off home run at the College World Series

N.C. State twice rallied from early miscues and missed opportunities to take a lead in the ninth inning of the 2024 Men’s College World Series on Saturday. Ace Sam Highfill jumped off the bump after striking out seven in seven strong innings.

It still wasn’t enough.

Kentucky’s Mitchell Daly sent a ball out of Charles Schwab Field that landed in the Wildcats’ bullpen in the bottom of the tenth to walk off the Wolfpack, 5-4.

“We played a good game, they’re a really good team,” Alec Makarewicz said. “It comes down to every pitch, and every pitch matters.”

Those early miscues and missed opportunities came back to bite the Wolfpack. Starter Highfill allowed a double to center and a lazy pickoff throw on the next at-bat went over second baseman Matt Heavner and into center field. The runner advanced to third on the throw and scored before Highfill’s third strikeout — on his 31st pitch of the opening inning — ended the danger.

But early, N.C. State couldn’t score. The Pack stranded four runners in the first two innings.

Persistence and sharp swings paid off in the third with some small ball. Garrett Pennington started the inning with a base hit into shallow left field and advanced to second on a bunt from Makarewicz. Jacob Cozart capped a nine-pitch battle against Kentucky starter Trey Pooser with a single to right field that scored Pennington easily and brought N.C. State fans to their feet.

The celebration, however, was short-lived. Kentucky center fielder Nolan McCarthy clubbed a two-run homer into the Wildcats’ bullpen for a 3-1 lead. Highfill responded with three consecutive outs as the NC State bullpen remained silent.

Pennington and Makarewicz set the table for a quick answer in the fifth with back-to-back singles. A 3-6-3 double play and a groundout to second base, however, stranded Pennington at third. An inning later, Noah Soles delivered a lead-off single. After consecutive strikeouts, Makarewicz blasted a 1-2 offering 415 feet into right-center field. N.C. State’s second deficit of the game disappeared at 106.8 mph.

Re-energized, Highfill set the side down in order. Left fielder Luke Nixon gave him a lift with a diving snag. That ended Highfill’s day at six hits, two walks, three runs and seven strikeouts on 116 pitches in seven innings. He shot off the mound with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.

“It was just a big moment in a big spot in a big game,” Highfill said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that much emotion out of me either.”

Jacob Dudan found trouble upon entering the game. The batter he initially walked stole second without a throw and advanced to third on a contested balk call. Dudan stranded him 90 feet from the lead with a strikeout and a pop fly.

That set the stage for a dramatic ninth. Pennington walked and advanced to third on a picturesque hit-and-run as Cozart sent a rope down the right-field line. Pennington sprinted home easily on a wild pitch as the potential winning run.

Kentucky’s Ryan Nicholson immediately equalized, though, by sending a 96-mph fast ball just inside the foul pole in left. N.C. State reliever Derrick Smith closed the door in the ninth by getting a groundout to second with the winning run at third. Kentucky silenced the N.C. State bats in the tenth and walked off on a home run to left field.

N.C. State’s redemption arc now must go through the losers’ bracket. The Wolfpack plays the loser of Florida and Texas A&M on Monday afternoon.

“Good ballgame,” N.C. State head coach Elliott Avent said. “It just means two things: One more game we’ve got to win, and we’ve got to win them all.”