NC State scored eight runs across the 2nd and 3rd innings on Tuesday night in Wilmington, jumping out to a massive early lead and cruising to a run-rule shortened 14-2 win over UNCW. The Wolfpack improved to 17-4 with the win while the Seahawks drop to 14-7.
Both teams left a runner stranded in their respective halves of the first inning before NC State exploded for a four-run 2nd inning, with a massive Brandon Novy 3-run home run being the big ticket for the frame. Before Novy’s blast, State plated
a run on a Luke Nixon bunt single and a Brayden Fraasman double.
Ty Head followed the Fraasman double with another bunt single, then Novy did his thing with a 443-foot bomb that came off his bat at 112 mph.
The 3rd inning saw State string together a bunch of quality at-bats to put up another four-spot. Sherman Johnson led off with a walk, Nixon laid down his second bunt single of the game, Fraasman singled to plate Johnson, Head and Preston Bonn both walked, and then Rett Johnson brought home two runs with a single.
Mikey Ryan and Chris McHugh worked back-to-back walks to push across the final run of the frame for the Pack.
From there, it was all just a matter of getting to the finish line.
McHugh scored Rett and Ryan with a 5th inning single, then put the finishing touches on the game with a 3-run homer in the 6th.
It was clearly a big day for Wolfpack bats, pounding out 14 runs on 14 hits in just 7 innings, a big turnaround coming off a three-game series with Boston College that saw State score just 14 runs across the entire series. Fraasman (4-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI) and McHugh (2-for-3, HR, R, 6 RBI, 2 BB) were the headliners of a lineup that also saw Rett Johnson (2-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2-2 SB) and Nixon (2-for-5, R, 0-1 SB) notch multiple hits. Ryan (1-for-4, R, BB, 2-2 SB), Sherman Johnson (1-for-4, R, BB), Head (1-for-4, 2 R, BB, 2-2 SB), Novy (1-for-3, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB), and Bonn (0-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB) also all reached base safely multiple times.
For those keeping track at home, yes, that’s all nine Wolfpack starters reaching base safely multiple times in the game. A recipe for success, if there ever was one.
Luke Hemric (2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) got the start on the bump for the Pack. He issued a leadoff walk in each of the three innings he started on the mound, but thankfully worked out of most of those self-inflicted jams with minimal damage. Fellow freshman Sam Harris (3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HBP) was the first man out of the bullpen and similarly worked through multiple runners on base to avoid major damage while picking up his first collegiate win. Ryder Garino (1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K) finished off the game.
The Wolfpack will head to Tallahassee this weekend for their first ACC road series of the year against a 17-3 FSU squad that is undefeated in conference play and sports an RPI ranking of #2 nationally. First pitch for the Friday opener is set for 6:00pm.
