FAYETTEVILLE — North Carolina State provided more gifts than a great Hollywood game show host in a 21-2 loss Friday, but the Wolfpack won Saturday with the little things.
Yes, NC State went toe-to-toe on home runs with the Hogs, the national leader in that category. The Wolfpack hit three home runs Saturday, while Arkansas hit two.
But it was the execution with bunts and moving runners to plate two runs on fielder’s choice groundouts that was the difference in the 6-5 victory at Baum-Walker Stadium to even the NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional.
The Wolfpack set up Sunday’s rubber game with two sacrifice bunts and scored the winning run in the sixth on a ground out to shortstop Jalen Battles.
NC State catcher Luca Tresh raced from third on contact and Battles had no chance at the plate. Tresh singled and advanced on a walk and a sacrifice bunt.
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn thought Battles made the right decision going to first base for the out. There would not have been a play at the plate.
“He would have been safe,” Van Horn said. “(Battles) went too far to his left and would have been off balance on the throw. He was moving and shuffling. It turned out to be the winning run.”
The Wolfpack scored their first run — after a two-run homer by Arkansas slugger Charlie Welch — in the third inning in similar fashion. They manufactured a run on a ground out. The Hogs helped that rally when no one covered first on a bunt.
NC State coach Elliott Avent never mentioned his team’s three homers. He was most proud of the execution on the little things.
“I’ve made the statement before that sometimes in the regular season you beat teams because you are better,” Avent said. “In the tournaments, you've got to do the little things and we did them smartly today.”
Shortstop Jose Torres committed an error that allowed the Hogs a shot at a comeback in the seventh inning, but also hit a two-run homer to give the Wolfpack the lead in the fourth inning.
Torres fouled off three pitches before taking a low changeup from Ryan Costeiu over the wall in left center. He wanted to talk more about execution than the long ball.
“The execution was big,” Torres said. “Coach Avent said it right. You (put down bunts), they've got to be perfect. That’s pressure on them. It helped us today.”
The key Sunday might be the bullpen. Both closers finished the game Saturday. Evan Justice got the final eight outs for the Wolfpack. He faced the minimum in the last two innings and finished with 48 pitches.
Avent was asked if Justice, a lefty with a 95 mph fastball, could pitch again on Sunday. He’s gone back-to-back days several times this season.
“It would be a better question for Evan,” Avent said.
The simple translation: expect Justice late in the game again.
Van Horn fielded questions about his pitching plan without revealing too much. He did not announce a starter, but one option is freshman Jaxon Wiggins. Expect a quick hook in favor of Kevin Kopps.
Van Horn brought in Kopps for the final six outs Saturday. He did not give up a hit and threw only 21 pitches, 16 for strikes.
“Kevin will show us what he can do (Sunday),” Van Horn said. “He threw really well for two innings and we will see how it goes tomorrow.”
The more important question centers on how the Hogs will adjust at the plate. They went after too many high fastballs out of the strike zone.
Welch hit one of the few curveballs thrown by Sam Highfill far over the left-field bullpen in the second inning. Highfill said he didn’t throw another one the rest of his time. Instead he got ahead in the count and expanded the zone. The Hogs obliged.
“(Highfill) was tough,” Welch said. “He changed his arm slot from over the top to the side. That created some bad swings. He got me out once. We went after that high pitch, the elevated fastball.”
Welch has hit homers in each of his last three games. He’s got eight for the season.
“Pitchers are making more mistakes,” Welch said. “They are leaving more pitches in the middle of the plate. If they leave it over the plate, I think I can hit anyone.”
The Hogs have hit 108 homers on the season. The big fly might decide it Sunday, but it may come down to little things.