Eighth-Inning Eruption Lifts No. 17 NC State Past Princeton

No. 17 NC State used a late offensive surge and timely pitching to knock off Princeton 6–4 on Friday afternoon, breaking open a tie game with a four-run eighth inning to secure the win at home.

The Wolfpack didn’t exactly ease into this one.

Princeton struck first in the second inning when Joe Montembeau lined an RBI single to center to make it 1–0. The Tigers added another run in the third after a Tomas Cernius double down the left field line eventually led to an unearned run crossing the plate, giving Princeton an early 2–0 advantage.

NC State answered in the bottom half of the third, capitalizing on a defensive miscue to cut the deficit in half when Ty Head came around to score on a throwing error following a dropped third strike.

Still, the Pack struggled to generate consistent offense through the middle innings — until Chris McHugh stepped to the plate.

In the fifth, McHugh launched a 403-foot solo shot to deep left field for his first home run of the season, tying the game at 2–2 and injecting life into the NC State dugout.

Chris McHugh’s first of the season couldn’t have come at a better time. pic.twitter.com/AT44kLNlI8

— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) February 20, 2026

From there, it became a bullpen battle.

After Princeton reclaimed the lead later in the game, NC State entered the eighth inning trailing 4–2 — and that’s when the breakthrough came.

Brayden Fraasman got things started with an RBI single through the left side, scoring Head to make it a one-run game. Moments later, Dalton Bargo delivered the biggest swing of the night, blasting a three-run homer to right field to flip the scoreboard and give the Wolfpack a 6–4 lead.

The first #BargoBomb at the Doak!💣 pic.twitter.com/hSs71WAgS6

— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) February 20, 2026

Bargo finished the night 2-for-4 with three RBIs to pace NC State’s nine-hit effort at the plate.

On the mound, Collins Black shut the door late, earning the win with two innings of work out of the bullpen. The right-hander allowed just one hit and two runs — only one earned — while striking out six across nine batters faced.

Princeton threatened in the ninth with a two-run homer from Tommy Googins, but the late rally wasn’t enough as NC State held on to secure the victory.

Ty Head crossed the plate twice for the Wolfpack, while McHugh and Fraasman each added an RBI in the win.

Overall, a good win for NC State. Marohn wasn’t as dominant giving up 4 hits and 2 walks, but he was still effective giving up just 2 runs (1 earned) and striking out 8.

NC State will look to carry the late-inning momentum into the rest of the weekend as the Pack continues its series with Princeton tomorrow at noon (on ACCNX).