No. 10 NC State baseball filled the midweek game with powerhouse performances all-around in its first night game of the season.
Streak-extending and career-high feats from the junior infielder duo of Chris McHugh and Sherman Johnson helped prove that the team’s 18-game homestand hasn’t made it lose its edge outside Doak Field as the Pack (17-4) controlled the Seahawks (14-7) in a 14-2 run-rule victory.
Wilmington simply couldn’t handle the heat, making six pitching changes throughout; two within five plays of the other. The Pack demonstrated its offensive superiority throughout the game, showing off time and time again in the batter’s box.
McHugh soared to new heights as he entered the game leading the Wolfpack with 11 multi-hit games, eight multi-RBI games and a 16-game hitting streak. He left the matchup tacking one more onto each category while also notching a career-high six RBIs. Johnson came into the game with a 14-game on-base streak and 16 RBIs, and finished the game with a 15-game on-base streak and 18 RBIs.
At the start of the game, the Pack’s offense took time to wake up, but the defense was alive with an early double play in the bottom of the first to keep UNCW off the board.
It didn’t take long for NC State to get the ball rolling as the top of the second produced an RBI-double from senior outfielder Brayden Fraasman and a prompt 443-foot three-run homer from sophomore infielder Brandon Novy to up the early lead to 4-0.
The third inning was one for the books as multiple singles caused a domino effect of four runs in the third alone. Fraasman first singled to left field and brought Johnson home, which led to a two-RBI single from freshman outfielder Rett Johnson. Redshirt-freshman catcher Preston Bonn scored off a walk for McHugh to close out the top of the third for the Pack, surging the scoreboard to an 8-0 lead.
The Pack’s momentum fell off after the top of the third inning as the team scored no runs and allowed UNCW to get on the board via a sacrifice fly and a home run in the third and fourth innings, respectively. But McHugh heard the call and restored the Pack’s eight-run lead with a two-RBI single to center field.
The sixth showed signs of life similar to the third as NC State scored four runs once again, but this time on back-to-back batters. Novy scored on an error and immediately after, McHugh knocked a three-run blast to deep left reaching 386 feet — his seventh homer of the season — and secured the run-rule victory.
Next up, the Pack travels down to Tallahassee for a weekend series against No. 11 Florida State, beginning on Friday, March 20. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
