DURHAM — For the first time in five tries, the NC State baseball team has started its weekend series with a victory. Thanks to an impressive outing from freshman Reid Johnston and continued production from the top offense in the ACC, NC State beat Duke 9-2-at Jack Coombs Field in Durham Friday night.
Five different players collected at least two hits for the Wolfpack (30-7, 14-5 ACC) against the Blue Devils (30-9, 12-6). The Pack scored seven runs in the third and fourth innings combined, including a three-run triple from freshman catcher Patrick Bailey, who finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs, in the top of the fourth. Senior right fielder Brock Deatherage also collected five hits, going 3 for 4 with an RBI, and senior center fielder Josh McLain, who is now 7 for 10 over his last two games, went 3 for 5.
“Let’s start with practice last night,” head coach Elliott Avent said. “We came over here and froze last night, but we had an incredible batting practice. This team locks in. They don’t take anything for granted. They keep trying to get better everyday; that’s what they’ve done all year. I thought Reid Johnston, against their guy on Friday night, who’s been outstanding, unabashed, no walks, just ‘Hey; I’m going to go out there and see what I can do.’ He was pretty good.”
Johnston (6-0) impressed in his first weekend start of the season for the Pack. The first year righty allowed two runs on just four hits, struck out three and walked none on 95 pitches in 6.2 innings, earning the win for NC State.
Johnston’s command was outstanding all game, as 68 of his 95 pitches were strikes.
“It was pretty good,” Johnston said. “I think I hit two people, but it was about like normal. I try to throw as many strikes as I can. I don’t try to do too much. I think it worked out pretty good.”
The Pack took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, as senior right fielder Brock Deatherage singled home freshman designated hitter Terrell Tatum.
To lead off the bottom of the second, junior left fielder Brett Kinneman robbed Duke first baseman Joey Loperfido of extra bases with a leaping, bobbling catch at the left-field wall.
“They’re amazing,” Johnston said. “I don’t know if there’s a better solid three outfielders in the league. They can run down balls in the gap. It just makes me feel comfortable, because I know if I miss a spot, they hit one out there, they’ve got my back. It puts a lot of confidence in my head.”
The Blue Devils, however, quickly tied the game at one; center fielder Kennie Taylor ripped a triple into the right-field corner and then came home on an RBI groundout.
The Pack regained its lead with a three-run third inning; junior first baseman Evan Edwards lined a single into center to score sophomore Kinneman from third. Two more came home with the bases loaded with two outs as Tatum singled through the middle of the infield to bring home Edwards and sophomore shortstop Will wilson for a 4-1 NC State lead.
NC State tacked on another in the top of the fourth, as a sacrifice fly from Edwards with the bases loaded and one out made it 5-1. After Edwards walked to load the bases once again with two outs, Bailey roped a base-clearing triple to center to give the Wolfpack an 8-1 lead.
“It was nice having guys on base for sure,” Bailey said. “[McLain] always gets it started up top. It feels like up and down the lineup, everybody’s doing their job getting on base. I think I swung at a changeup earlier and I was just wanting to see that pitch up. I got it up and was able to put a good swing on it.”
The Blue Devils got one back with an RBI double off the top of the left-field wall from left fielder Jimmy Herron in the bottom of the fifth to make it an 8-2 game, but the Pack got it back with a single through the middle from Edwards in the top of the sixth to restore a seven-run lead.
Game two of the series goes Saturday at 1 p.m. at Coombs Field.
