The No. 9 NC State baseball team thrashed the High Point Panthers in an 18-3 beatdown on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at Doak Field. The Wolfpack utterly dominated the Panthers all day, in the batter’s box as well as on the mound.
Senior second baseman J.T. Jarrett (3-4, HR, 2 2B, 5 RBI) spearheaded the Wolfpack’s (4-0) efforts as it terrorized the Panthers (0-4) all afternoon. Jarrett’s three-run homer to left field capped off an eight-run second inning for the Pack.
“I got the same answer [as Saturday], honestly,” Jarrett said. “Just stay on the fastball. Hopefully if they throw me offspeed I can identify it and take it. I got a few fastballs to hit and I got the barrel on it, so good things happen.”
Jarrett wasn’t the only State batter with an impressive afternoon, however. Freshman first baseman and reigning national player of the week Tommy White (3-5, 2 RBI, SB) continued his hot start to the season even if he didn’t hit any balls over the fence. The second of White’s three singles drove in a pair of runs to extend NC State’s lead to 4-0. White also registered his first collegiate stolen base in that same inning on a double steal with senior center fielder Devonte Brown (2-5, HR, RBI, 4 R, SB).
Brown contributed to another crooked number in the scoreboard as his fifth-inning solo shot drove home the first of five Wolfpack runs in that inning. Sophomore designated hitter Dominic Pilolli (1-2, 2 RBI) also made his mark with a multi-RBI game. Sophomore infielder DeAngelo Giles (1-1, HR, 2 RBI) put the finishing touch on the scoreline with a two-run pinch hit homer in the seventh.
“Oh yeah, offense is good,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “It’s a good offense now. It’s obviously early in the year and so everybody’s not pitching the way they’re gonna at some point. We’re getting some pitches to hit right now.”
While the offense ravaged High Point throughout the afternoon, redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Logan Adams (5.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 7 K, 3 BB) quietly put together a solid outing. Adams’ only earned runs came against the last batter he faced, Sam Zayicek, who ended the shutout with a two-run dinger to right in the sixth. Adams, a transfer from the College of Central Florida, impressed the fans in attendance as they applauded his effort as he exited the game.
“I never had anything like that before,” Adams said. “That was awesome; that’s a keystone moment right there.”
Freshman right-hander Carson Kelly (2.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 4 K, BB) took over for Adams from there until the middle of the eighth inning, reestablishing the Pack’s dominance on the mound with two and one-third shutout innings. Freshman southpaw Jacob Dienes (1.0 IP, ER, 0 H, 2 BB) closed things out in the ninth.
“Right now our main emphasis is on defense and pitching,” Avent said. “Because defense and pitching is what’s going to get you to where you want to go. We’re trying to figure out who we got in the bullpen and those kinds of things, but right now we’re pleased with how we play.”
The Wolfpack will face a quick turnaround as they take on Longwood in its second midweek game of the season, looking to keep its hot start going. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. on Feb. 23 at Doak Field.
