Following the heartbreak of its most recent appearance in the event, when a COVID-19 outbreak among the team forced it to forfeit an elimination game in 2021, the NC State baseball program entered the 2024 College World Series with a chance to finish a job it was unable to three years earlier.
Thanks to a gutting setback, though, the Wolfpack will be on its heels for much of that quest.
After entering the bottom of the ninth inning with a 4-3 lead, No. 10 NC State gave up a solo home run in the ninth inning to tie the game and a walk-off solo shot in the 10th inning to fall to No. 2 Kentucky 5-4 Saturday at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.
REQUIRED READING:College World Series: NC State baseball loses to Kentucky on walk-off in extra innings
With the loss, the Wolfpack will play the loser of a matchup Saturday night between No. 3 Texas A&M and Florida in an elimination game while Kentucky will face the winner of the contest between the Aggies and Gators. Both of those games are scheduled for Monday.
Before giving up the homers in back-to-back innings, NC State had seized a one-run lead in the top of the ninth inning, when a wild pitch from Kentucky’s Johnny Hummel allowed Garrett Pennington to score from third base. It marked the first time during the 2024 NCAA Tournament that the Wildcats had trailed.
The Wolfpack had an opportunity to stretch that advantage, with runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the ninth, but Chase Nixon flied out to center field to end the threat.
Alec Makarewicz helped carry NC State offensively, going 2-for-5 with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game at three. Jacob Cozart had three hits and an RBI while Pennington and Noah Soles finished with two hits apiece.
Wolfpack starter Sam Highfill had a strong outing, giving up three earned runs across seven innings while striking out seven and walking just two.
Derrick Smith took the loss for NC State, giving up the 372-foot homer to Mitchell Daly that ended the game.
Ryan Nicholson paced the Kentucky lineup, going 3-for-4 and hitting the game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth inning off Jacob Dudan of the Wolfpack.
Check out all the scores and highlights from NC State baseball’s loss Saturday to Kentucky:
REQUIRED READING:Elliott Avant career record, CWS appearances: What to know about NC State baseball coach
NC State baseball vs Kentucky score: Wildcats 5, Wolfpack 4
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| NC State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
NC State baseball vs Kentucky live updates, highlights
Bottom of 10th inning: Kentucky 5, NC State 4
5:50 p.m.: Mitchell Daly ends the game for Kentucky, ripping a 372-foot walk-off solo shot over the left field wall to end the game. Three walk-offs in three games so far at the CWS. It’s the first win in the CWS in Kentucky program history.
The Wildcats will play the winner of the Texas A&M-Florida matchup later today while NC State will take on the loser of that contest in an elimination game.
5:49 p.m.: Burkes is thrown out trying to steal second. Two outs. What a throw from Cozart to get him out.
5:47 p.m.: Nick Lopez pops out to Serrano in center field. One out.
5:46 p.m.: Devin Burkes draws the leadoff walk for Kentucky. Smith, who came in with nine walks all season, has two in his one inning of work today.
Top of 10th inning: NC State 4, Kentucky 4
5:43 p.m.: Serrano strikes out swinging to end the top half of the inning. Kentucky up to the plate with a chance to win it.
5:41 p.m.: Chase Nixon strikes out looking. Two down.
5:39 p.m.: Heavner rips a line drive to left center field, but Crittenberger makes an outstanding diving catch to rob NC State of at least a single and record the first out of the inning.
Bottom of ninth inning: NC State 4, Kentucky 4
5:36 p.m.: A tense at-bat ends with Pitre lining the ball off Smith’s glove, with the deflection going to Heavner, who throws out Pitre in time to end the inning and send this game to the 10th. Very nearly had the third walk-off in as many games at the 2024 CWS.
5:33 p.m.: Smith walks Ryan Waldschmidt, giving Kentucky runners on first and third with two outs.
5:31 p.m.: Safe call upheld. NC State has one challenge call remaining. Two outs for Kentucky, with the winning run 90 feet away.
5:29 p.m.: Grant Smith grounds out to third, but Crittenberger moves from second to third while the out is made. NC State believed they had him thrown out at third and is challenging the play. Based on replays, it looks like he was safe, but we’ll see.
5:28 p.m.: A well-executed bunt from pinch hitter Patrick Herrera moves Crittenberger to second. Herrera is thrown out at first for the first out of the inning.
5:23 p.m.: NC State making a pitching change, with Derrick Smith coming in the game to relieve Dudan. Smith has a 4.50 ERA in 23 appearances this season, with 41 strikeouts and just nine walks.
5:20 p.m.: Kentucky going with a pinch-runner, taking McCarthy out in favor of Ty Crittenberger.
5:18 p.m.: Momentum keeps building for Kentucky, with McCarthy knocking an opposite-field single to left. One man on for the Wildcats with no outs.
5:17 p.m.: Nicholson ties it up for Kentucky to lead off the the bottom of the ninth, hitting an opposite field homer over the left field wall, traveling 349 feet off a 96 mile-per-hour pitch from Dudan. Tie ballgame.
Top of ninth inning: NC State 4, Kentucky 3
5:14 p.m.: The miscue doesn’t end up harming Kentucky, with Nixon popping out to center field. NC State is three outs away from winning its first game of this year’s CWS. Nicholson, Nolan McCarthy and James McCoy due up for the Wildcats.
5:13 p.m.: What looked to be a sure pop-out for Nixon in foul territory along the first base line ends up hitting the ground with Ryan Nicholson and Devin Burkes having some miscommunication over who had the ball. 2-2 count for Nixon.
5:10 p.m.: Sosa is walked, giving NC State runners on first and second with two outs. Luke Nixon up to bat with a chance to increase his team’s lead.
5:08 p.m.: Butterworth lines out to left field, with Cozart still on second. Two outs.
5:07 p.m.: Hummel’s first pitch is a rough one, going past the catcher and to the backstop. Pennington runs home to give NC State its first lead of the game and making the first time Kentucky has trailed at all during the NCAA tournament. Cozart moves to second base with just one out and Butterworth up at the plate.
5:04 p.m.: Another pitching change for Kentucky, with Hogan coming out of the game in favor of Johnny Hummel. The right-hander, a Charlotte native, had a 3.49 ERA in 22 appearances this season, with 38 strikeouts to 10 walks.
5:02 p.m.: Cozart singles along the right field line, sending Pennington to third. Cozart holds at first base. ESPN commentators brought up that had he tried for second, Kentucky may have tried to throw him out there, potentially allowing Pennington to score.
5:00 p.m.: A hard line drive from Makarewicz ends up in the glove of Kentucky right fielder James McCoy. One down.
4:57 p.m.: Kentucky brings Robert Hogan, with a 2.58 ERA in 22 appearances this season, in the game. He walks Pennington to lead off the top of the ninth, with Makarewicz due up at the plate.
Bottom of eighth inning: NC State 3, Kentucky 3
4:54 p.m.: NC State gets out of the jam, with Mitchell Daly popping out to Pennington at first base. Into the ninth we go, with the score tied, 3-3.
4:52 p.m.: Dudan gets exactly what he needs in that situation, striking out Lopez with a slider. Two outs, with Pitre lurking at third base.
4:50 p.m.: Dudan is called for a balk with Nick Lopez up at bat for Kentucky, moving Pitre on to third base with one out. NC State’s players meeting with Dudan on the mound.
4:48 p.m.: After being walked by Dudan to lead off the inning, Pitre swipes second base, with Cozart unable to get the ball out in time to try to catch him stealing. Later in the at-bat, Devin Burkes pops out to Cozart on an attempted bunt.
4:47 p.m.: Jacob Dudan is the pitcher coming out of the bullpen to replace Highfill. Freshman right-hander has a 4.40 ERA in 26 appearances this season.
Top of eighth inning: NC State 3, Kentucky 3
4:43 p.m.: A Serrano line drive ends up right in the glove of Kentucky second baseman Emilien Pitre to end the Wolfpack’s scoring threat. Could stand as a big missed opportunity for NC State as we move on to the bottom of the eighth.
4:42 p.m.: Chase Nixon draws a walk on a lengthy at-bat, giving NC State runners on first and second. Top of the order now up for the Wolfpack, starting with Serrano.
4:35 p.m.: Heavner flies out to right field for the second out, with Sosa staying at second. Kentucky making a pitching change, removing O’Brien for Jackson Nove. Nove has a 5.46 ERA across 29 2/3 innings this season.
4:32 p.m.: A nice bunt from Luke Nixon down the first base line gets Sosa to second, with Nixon unable to beat out the throw. One out, but a runner in scoring position now for NC State.
4:30 p.m.: Sosa draws a leadoff walk for NC State.
Bottom of seventh inning: NC State 3, Kentucky 3
4:25 p.m.: Highfill strikes out Ryan Waldschmidt for the third out. NC State heads into the eighth inning with a chance to take the lead.
Based on the reactions from his teammates in the dugout once he returned, I’m guessing that’s it for Highfill, who’s at 116 pitches. Excellent performance from him.
4:22 p.m.: A diving catch from Nixon in left field robs Grant Smith of at least a single for Kentucky. Two down for the Wildcats.
4:21 p.m.: Highfill returns to the mound and gets the first out on his first pitch, a pop out to center field.
Top of seventh inning: NC State 3, Kentucky 3
4:19 p.m.: Butterworth strikes out looking to end the inning, but NC State got exactly what it needed out of the inning.
4:15 p.m.: A couple of quick notes before action resumes. Makarewicz’s homer was NC State’s 100th of the season. As for O’Brien, who the Wolfpack are about to face, he has a 3.94 ERA in 33 appearances this season, with 43 strikeouts to 11 walks.
The final line for Pooser: 6 2/3 innings, 9 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts
4:13 p.m.: Cozart walks the next at-bat, prompting a pitching change from Kentucky. Pooser is out of the game, with Cameron O’Brien coming in from the bullpen.
4:11 p.m.: NC State’s first extra-base hit of the day is a big one. Alec Makarewicz blasts a 415-foot, two-run homer off Pooser to right field. Tie ballgame in the seventh inning.
4:09 p.m.: Another strikeout from Pooser, this one getting Pennington out.
4:06 p.m.: Serrano strikes out swinging. One down for NC State
4:04 p.m.: Second hit of the day for Nolan Soles, who singles to right field. Eighth hit of the day for NC State, all of them singles.
Bottom of sixth inning: Kentucky 3, NC State 1
4:01 p.m.: Nolan McCarthy, the man behind the fourth-inning homer, grounds into an inning-ending double play. NC State back to the plate.
3:59 p.m.: Ryan Nicholson rips a single to right, with an exit velocity of 110 miles per hour, according to the ESPN broadcast. One aboard for Kentucky.
3:58 p.m.: An infield pop-up gets caught drifting in the Omaha wind, but Pennington gets under it for the first out of the inning.
Top of sixth inning: Kentucky 3, NC State 1
3:52 p.m.: Three up, three down for the Wolfpack. Sosa strikes out swinging, Nixon pops out to the catcher in foul territory and Heavner grounds out. Just three pitches for Kentucky’s Trey Pooser that inning. Believe that’s the first inning today in which NC State didn’t get at least one hit.
Bottom of fifth inning: Kentucky 3, NC State 1
3:48 p.m.: A groundout to Heavner ends a quick, efficient inning for NC State. Nice recovery from Highfill after giving up the two-run dinger in the fourth.
3:47 p.m.: A groundout back to Highfill and a strikeout, Highfill’s sixth of the day, gets Kentucky’s first two batters out.
Top of fifth inning: Kentucky 3, NC State 1
3:41 p.m.: A hard shot from Cozart is scooped up by Ryan Nicholson at first base for Kentucky, who throws to second for one out and gets it back at first for a double play. Butterworth grounds out in the next at-bat and NC State leaves the fifth inning without a run.
Tough sequence of events for the Wolfpack, who have seven hits today, to Kentucky’s five.
3:39 p.m.: Back to back singles for NC State, with Makarewicz poking one through to right field. Pennington advances to second, but is held there. Great opportunity here for the Wolfpack, with runners on first and second and no outs with Cozart, who’s 2 for 2 today, at bat.
3:36 p.m.: A leadoff single up the middle for Pennington, who is now 2 for 3 today for the Wolfpack.
Bottom of fourth inning: Kentucky 3, NC State 1
3:34 p.m.: Ryan Waldschmidt pops out to center to end the inning. A breakthrough inning for Kentucky though, with McCarthy’s homer putting it back on top.
3:31 p.m.: Grant Smith flies out to left field, just shy of the warning track. Two down for Kentucky.
3:28 p.m.: Highfill gets his fifth strikeout of the day, retiring James McCoy for the first out of the inning.
3:25 p.m.: After leaving four runners on base in the first three innings, Kentucky capitalizes, with Nolan McCarthy drilling a two-run homer to left field. Eighth home run of the year for McCarthy puts the Wildcats back on top, 3-1.
3:23 p.m.: Ryan Nicholson gets a leadoff single for Kentucky, even after Highfill had him at two outs.
Top of fourth inning: NC State 1, Kentucky 1
3:19 p.m.: Serrano grounds out to retire NC State. Highfill back to the mound for the Wolfpack.
3:18 p.m.: Nick Soles keeps NC State alive in the inning with a single to left center. Fifth hit of the day for the Wolfpack.
3:16 p.m.: Nixon flies out to left field and Heavner flies out to right field to start off the inning for the Wolfpack. Two down.
Bottom of third inning: NC State 1, Kentucky 1
3:11 p.m.: Mitchell Daly lays down a bunt, but Highfill makes a superb play, running off the mound to barehand the ball and make an off-balance throw to first, where he beats Daly. Inning over for Kentucky.
3:10 p.m.: Nick Lopez, who drove in Kentucky’s lone run in the first inning, pops out to Heavner. Two outs, with Pitre still on second.
3:08 p.m.: Emilien Pitre continues to give NC State problems, drawing a leadoff walk. He moves to second base after a sacrifice bunt from Devin Burkes.
Top of third inning: NC State 1, Kentucky 1
3:04 p.m.: Alex Sosa grounds out to end the inning and strand Cozart on second, but a great inning for NC State, which is now tied with Kentucky. Wolfpack have consistently been getting contact and getting men on base. An encouraging start.
3:02 p.m.: A well-placed bunt from Brandon Butterworth advances Cozart to second with two outs.
3:01 p.m.: Excellent at-bat from Jacob Cozart, who fights off some foul balls and gets a single on a slow roller to right field, sending Pennington home to tie the game. 54th RBI of the year for Cozart.
2:56 p.m.: Another hit for NC State, with Garrett Pennington hitting a single to left field. Pennington moves on to second the next at-bat on an Alec Makarewicz groundout to first. One out, but another runner in scoring position for the Wolfpack.
Bottom of second inning: Kentucky 1, NC State 0
2:53 p.m.: Ryan Waldschmidt lines out to right field to end the inning. Nice recovery from Highfill to get three straight quick outs after giving up that leadoff walk.
2:52 p.m.: Highfill gets James McCoy looking on a called third strike, giving the NC State pitcher his fourth strikeout of the day. On the first pitch of the next at-bat, Grant Smith pops out to right field on a drifting ball. Two down.
2:50 p.m.: Highfill walks leadoff batter Nolan McCarthy to start the bottom half of the inning.
Top of second inning: Kentucky 1, NC State 0
2:46 p.m.: Serrano grounds out, ending the half of the inning and stranding two. NC State now with three runners left on base. Worth noting that Kentucky has been experiencing problems with its sign delivery system. Should be something to keep an eye on as the game progresses.
2:43 p.m.: Noah Soles grounds out to first, with Kentucky opting not to try a double play. Two outs now, but both runners advance for NC State, giving it men on second and third. A hit from Serrano could bring home two runs and give the Wolfpack the lead.
2:40 p.m.: Might have something cooking here for NC State. Matt Heavner gets a single to left field, advancing Nixon to second base. A second consecutive inning with a running in scoring position for the Wolfpack.
2:37 p.m.: Alex Sosa flies out to center field to open the inning, but NC State gets a base-runner in the next at-bat, with Luke Nixon getting hit by a pitch. One on for the Wolfpack with one out.
Bottom of first inning: Kentucky 1, NC State 0
2:34 p.m.: Highfill gets Ryan Nicholson to strike out on an 82-mile-per-hour pitch on a 3-2 count to end the inning. Inning over, but Kentucky is on the board early.
2:32 p.m.: Highfill gives up another single, this one to Mitchell Daly to left field. Runners on first and second now for Kentucky. There’s a brief meeting at the mound with Highfill and some of his teammates.
2:29 p.m.: The miscue on the pick-off attempt ends up coming back to bite the Wolfpack. In the next at-bat, Nick Lopez rips a single to center field, bringing Pitre home. 1-0 Kentucky.
2:28 p.m.: A tough mistake there for Highfill, who turned to try to pick off Pitre at second, but tosses the ball over his teammate’s glove, sending it into shallow center field and advancing Pitre to third. Later in the at-bat, though, he strikes out Devin Burkes for the second out.
2:26 p.m.: Emilien Pitre caps off a 12-pitch at-bat with a double to center field that it looks like Serrano misplayed for NC State. Commentators have been talking about the wind in Omaha today, which may have played a factor.
2:20 p.m.: Sam Highfill strikes out Ryan Waldschmidt looking, catching the edge of the plate. One down.
2:18 p.m.: The game is back on ESPN, for those interested.
Top of first inning: NC State 0, Kentucky 0
2:16 p.m.: The NC State threat is subdued. Brandon Butterworth flies out to right field, stranding runners on first and second.
2:13 p.m.: Jacob Cozart lines a single to right field, with Serrano advancing to second base. Wolfpack have a man in scoring position with two outs.
2:12 p.m.: On the first pitch of the at-bat, Alec Makarewicz also flies out to left. Two down for the Wolfpack.
2:11 p.m.: Garrett Pennington pops out to left field. One down for NC State.
2:10 p.m.: Eli Serrano is walked on four straight pitches to lead off the game. NC State has a man on base.
Pregame
2:08 p.m.: With the NWSL game on ESPN running long, the NC State-Kentucky game will be starting on ESPN2. Should be switching back to ESPN soon.
1:15 p.m.: Not to be outdone, NC State has its lineup out shortly after Kentucky’s is posted. Wolfpack are going with Sam Highfill on the mound.
Highfill has a team-high seven wins this season, but has struggled at times across his 16 appearances, with a 5.06 ERA. He was excellent in his most recent game, though, giving up just one run and four hits across six innings in an 18-1 win against Georgia in the first game of the super regional round. It’s unlikely he’ll get that kind of run support today, but it offers some encouragement for NC State.
1:08 p.m.: Kentucky is out with its starting lineup. Wildcats will be starting right-hander Trey Pooser, the pitching staff’s ace. Pooser is 7-1 this season with a 3.46 ERA.
12:14 p.m.: Some footage of the team leaving the hotel to head to the ballpark for today’s game, with a throng of fans sending them off.
10:26 a.m.: The 2021 NC State CWS team passes along a message to the current Wolfpack squad.
What channel is NC State baseball vs Kentucky on today?
- TV channel: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN app | ESPN+ | Fubo (free trial)
NC State and Kentucky will square off in a game that will be broadcast on ESPN.
Streaming options for the matchup include the ESPN app, ESPN+ and Fubo, the last of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
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NC State baseball vs Kentucky start time
- Date: Saturday, June 15
- Time: 2 p.m. ET
First pitch between the Wolfpack and Wildcats is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.
NC State baseball schedule 2024
Below is NC State’s postseason schedule. To see the Wolfpack’s full 2024 schedule, click here
Raleigh Regional
- Friday, May 31: NC State 9, Bryant 2
- Saturday, June 1: NC State 6, South Carolina 4
- Sunday, June 2: NC State 5, James Madison 3
Athens Super Regional
- Saturday, June 8: NC State 18, Georgia 1
- Sunday, June 9: Georgia 11, NC State 2
- Monday, June 10: NC State 8, Georgia 5
Kentucky baseball schedule 2024
Below is Kentucky’s postseason schedule. To see the Wildcats’ full 2024 schedule, click here
Lexington Regional
- Friday, May 31: Kentucky 10, Western Michigan 8
- Saturday, June 1: Kentucky 6, Illinois 1
- Sunday, June 2: Kentucky 5, Indiana State 0
Lexington Super Regional
- Saturday, June 8: Kentucky 10, Oregon State 0
- Sunday, June 9: Kentucky 3, Oregon State 2
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