It’s hard to say what happened to N.C. State as Monday turned into Tuesday was more painful than either of the previous two regional losses, but only because those two were so extraordinarily, abnormally tortuous. For any other team, gift-wrapping six runs on only two hits over the final three innings of a 10-5 loss would be nightmare fuel. For N.C. State, it’s just more of the same.
Sunday, N.C. State had an early two-run lead on Kentucky with a chance to close out the Wildcats. Monday, the Wolfpack led 5-4 through six. In both cases, the outcome was the same: pain.