NC State Baseball
Six-Run Inning Lifts No. 2 NC State Past UNCW, 8-3
WILMINGTON, N.C. – The second-ranked NC State baseball team scored six runs in the fourth inning en route to an 8-3 victory against the UNCW Seahawks Wednesday afternoon at Brooks Field.
With the win, the Wolfpack remains unbeaten in midweek games this season with a perfect 8-0 record. NC State is now 26-6 overall on the year, while UNCW falls to 20-12.
Freshman Reid Johnston picked up the win for the Pack with 2.1 innings of relief, while UNCW reliever Austin Easter was charged with the loss.
Avent’s Additions
Overall thoughts…
“I thought we played really well tonight,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “This is a tough place to play and they had a big crowd here tonight. They’ve got a really good ball club with some big-time pitching and all of them can pitch. But our guys did what they’ve done all year, which is settle down and play the game.
“Dillon Cooper getting that big two-strike hit and then scoring on the infield single from McLain was huge. Those are the things that we’ve done all year and that’s what has made us who we are. This club likes to play for each other and they give everything they’ve got to each other and that’s part of the reason we’ve been so successful.”
Quick Hits
– UNCW struck first in the contest with an unearned run in the bottom of the third, but NC State answered in a major way with six runs in its next at-bat.
– Brock Deatherage reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to third on a single to left center by freshman Terrell Tatum to put runners at the corners with one out.
– Dillon Cooper ripped an RBI single up the middle to score Deatherage and knot the score at 1-1.
– NC State executed a perfect hit-and-run, as J.T. Jarrett chopped a ground ball over the third baseman’s head into left field to plate Tatum, who was moving with the pitch, from second base.
– An RBI single from Josh McLain pushed the Wolfpack’s advantage to 3-1, as Cooper scored from third base.
– Two batters later, Will Wilson stepped to the plate with two outs and launched his eighth home run of the year to deep center field, giving NC State a 6-1 lead.
– It was the 16th time this season that NC State has scored four of more runs in an inning.
– UNCW got a pair of runs back in the fifth after a two-run homer by Zack Canada to cut the Wolfpack’s lead to 6-3.
– Deatherage sparked the Pack offense with a leadoff triple to left center in the eighth and scored on a single to left field by Dillon Cooper, as he smashed a hanging slider on an 0-2 pitch.
– McLain legged out an infield single to second base for his second hit of the day and Cooper raced around to score from second on the play to extend NC State’s advantage to 8-3.
Inside the Box Score
– Wilson led the Wolfpack at the plate with a 2-for-5 outing, highlighted by a three-run homer. The Kings Mountain, N.C., native hit his first collegiate home run at UNCW last season, as he has homered in consecutive trips to Brooks Field.
– Cooper was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and runs, while McLain had a multi-hit day and drove in a couple runs.
– Patrick Bailey, Deatherage, Jarrett and Tatum each had one hit for NC State.
– The Wolfpack recorded a .389 batting average at the plate with runners on base and a .667 clip with runners in scoring position. In contrast, UNCW only had two hits with runners on base.
On the Mound
– Freshman David Harrison started on the mound for NC State and pitched 2.1 innings before handing the ball to Nolan Clenney, who threw two-thirds innings.
– Johnston took over next and threw 2.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts.
– Kent Klyman went an 1.2 and Wilmington, N.C., native Joe O’Donnell closed out the game with two hitless innings.
On Deck
NC State returns to action this weekend when Notre Dame visits Doak Field at Dail Park for a three-game series. Friday’s game is set for 6:30 p.m.
#21 NC State convincingly defeated Ball State 10-2 in the series opener in Raleigh this evening.
Senior Sam Highfill pitched a Quality Start against the Cardinals, giving up 2 earned runs in 6 innings, while striking out 6. The Quality Start was Highfill’s 3rd of the season, and his record on the year is now 4-1.
Freshman Ryan Marohn was brilliant in relief, pitching 3 scoreless innings, giving up only 1 hit, while striking out 3. Marohn picked up his 1st Save of his collegiate career.
Senior 3rd Baseman Alec Makarewicz was the Wolfpack’s Offensive MVP, going 2 for 4, with a Grand Slam.
17 homers, 55 RBI and another GRAND SLAM for A-Mak 💣#Pack9 | @Alec_mak99 pic.twitter.com/fTBCrh5afv
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 26, 2024
Makarewica now has 17 Home Runs and 55 RBI’s.
Sophomore Right Fielder Josh Hogue, Junior Catcher Jacob Cozart, Junior Left Fielder Chase Nixon, Freshman 2nd Baseman Luke Nixon and Sophomore Matt Heavner all had an RBI apiece.
Junior Shortstop Brandon Butterworth was the only player besides A-Mak to have multiple hits, going 2 for 4 with a Double.
Game 2 is tomorrow at 3pm.
#21 NC State is coming off of a series victory over UNC this past weekend, and a loss to #7 ECU on the road last night. Where does NC State project to land in the 2024 NCAA Tournament?
The Wolfpack have already seen the Pirates twice this season, but according to D1Baseball and Baseball America, they might not be done playing ECU. Both of them project NC State to be a #2 seed in the Greenville Regional, with D1Baseball projecting the Pirates as the #6 seed and Baseball America projecting them as the #8 seed.
NC State has plenty of baseball left to play, with series against UVA (#14), FSU (#10) and Wake Forest (#8). If the Wolfpack can handle business in 2 of those 3 series, you could make an argument for NC State hosting their own regional.
D1Baseball
Baseball America
#21 NC State lost to #7 ECU 6-10 on the road this evening in a midweek game. As a result, the Pirates have won both games against the Wolfpack in 2024.
When you record 10 hits and score 6 runs, you would hope that’s enough offense to win a baseball game.
Unfortunately the Wolfpack pitching staff was unable to contain the bats of the Pirates, allowing ECU to put 15 hits and 10 runs in the Box Score.
Kudos to Senior 3rd Baseman Alec Makarewicz for making a STATEment in his return to Clark-LeClair Stadium. A-Mak transferred to NC State from ECU this offseason. This evening Makarewicz was 2-4 with 1 RBI, 2 Runs, and 1 Walk.
A-MAK 👏 ON 👏 THE 👏 ATTACK 👏#Pack9 | @Alec_mak99 pic.twitter.com/7Lps43hXow
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 23, 2024
A-Mak’s Home Run was a part of back-to-back-to-back Home Runs in the Top of the 3rd for the Wolfpack, with Sophomore Right Fielder Josh Hogue and Junior Catcher Jacob Cozart also hitting bombs.
Hogue Homer 💪#Pack9 | @JoshHogue5 pic.twitter.com/CMV3rCQu4B
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 23, 2024
‘Zart completes the trifecta 🤌 pic.twitter.com/gipiWvbcFb
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 23, 2024
NC State will look to flush this loss, and get ready for a 3-game series at home this weekend against Ball State.
Earlier this season on April 2nd, #21 NC State (22-15) lost to #7 ECU (31-8) 4-12 in Raleigh. This evening the Wolfpack will look to get revenge against the Pirates in a game in Greenville at 6pm.
Overall, NC State holds a 71-43 advantage over East Carolina in the series, which dates back to 1957.
Last year, the Wolfpack and the Pirates split their 2-game series, ironically, losing at home, and winning in Greenville.
Replicating last years results will be no small task. The Pirates are ranked 7th in the land, and boast a 3-1 record against ranked opponents this season. One of those wins was against NC State, when the Wolfpack was ranked 19th. The other two ranked wins were at UNC when they were ranked 15th.
NC State has done well against ranked opponents, going 7-4 against teams in the Top-25, and 4-2 against teams in the Top-10.
The Pirates’ pitching staff leads the AAC and is in the Top-10 nationally in ERA (3.61), WHIP (1.18), hits allowed per nine innings (6.99) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.04).
ECU’s home field advantage is a real thing, going 20-2 at home thus far this season.
Senior Carter Cunningham leads the Pirates in nearly every offensive category, batting .396 with 9 Home Runs. He’s not alone though. Five of ECU’s regular starters have batting averages over .300.
It will be a homecoming for Senior Wolfpack Third Baseman Alec Makarewicz, who transferred to NC State from ECU this offseason. A-Mak is having the best season of his career, hitting 15 Home Runs while batting .349. It would be fitting for Makarewicz to win at his old stomping grounds.