No. 13 NC State baseball handled Lafayette with ease, delivering what you would expect from the Pack as it took on a squad that came into this series winless.
After falling flat in the series opener, the Wolfpack (13-2) came back with a vengeance in Game 2 to nearly run-rule the Leopards (1-8), 10-4. On the back of three home runs, the Pack got ahead early in the first inning and after four stagnant frames, put the game away with eight runs in the final three innings to close the game. The top seven batters in the lineup all recorded a hit in an all-around quality performance from the plate.
“I hope they win the Patriot league,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “I’ll tell you one thing, If they play the way they played this weekend, unless the Patriot League is loaded, I think they will have a good chance … Their defensive positioning, it’s almost like they scouted us to a tee, every time we hit a ball hard and think it’s in the hole, somebody is sitting there.”
The first of the Pack’s 10 hits on the day came as senior designated hitter Dalton Bargo smashed a two-run homer after missing seven games with a leg injury.
“[Bargo] does a lot to the offense, but it does a lot to the team,” Avent said. “… A one year guy who comes in here with maturity and understands what you’re supposed to do in games, how to make adjustments, how to handle yourself … Having him out there is a big, big deal.”
As good as the offense was, the pitching was arguably better — at least for the first seven innings. Making his fourth start of the season, junior righty Jacob Dudan went 6.2 innings on the mound, giving up just four hits and one run. One K away from matching his career high, Dudan struck out 10 batters and was close to ending his outing without a smudge on the card, but gave up a two-out RBI-single to spoil the shutout.
“My arm’s already a little sore,” Dudan said postgame. “But I got mandatory treatment after this, but again overall I feel pretty good. My command was the best part. I was able to locate sinkers [inside] when I wanted to and locate sliders away when I wanted to.”
The Leopards dealt more damage in the ninth inning as sophomore righty Collins Black gave up a three-run shot to cut the Wolfpack lead to six, but the comeback fell far short.
NC State’s lead was already large enough due to the efforts of the top of the lineup, with the top three batters, sophomore center fielder Ty Head, junior first baseman Chris McHugh and Bargo getting on base a combined 10 times with two walks apiece. Head got the best of it with a 5-RBI game, including a three-run jack.
“They had to pitch to me, you got McHugh and Bargo behind me,” Head said. “I feel like that’s a very deadly 1-2-3, so if they don’t pitch to me, they got two donkeys they gotta pitch to.”
Last season, Head recorded just four home runs all season. Just 15 games into the 2026 slate, he has already smacked seven.
“They get mad at me when I hit them,” Head said jokingly. “So I’m just trying to hit line drives. I don’t want my head to start thinking home runs, so just trying to hit line drives and that’s where I’m at my best.”
Back in action tomorrow, the Pack will play the rubber match versus the Leopards at 11 a.m. Listen on 88.1 WKNC.
