The No. 23 NC State baseball team defeated the No. 16 Florida State Seminoles in style with a 6-4 walk-off win.
Sophomore catcher Luca Tresh (2-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI) sealed the deal with a two-run shot to center field in the bottom of the ninth, ensuring that a stellar performance from junior right-handed pitcher Reid Johnston (6.2 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 13 K) ended in a win despite giving up a game-tying grand slam.
“He threw really well,” Tresh said. “I honestly think he could have stayed in there and finished it. [Florida State third baseman Logan Lacey] hit a great pitch out, but [Johnston] threw really well and I think we all gave him the support he got.”
The Pack (27-14, 18-13 ACC) sent out Johnston to face Bryce Hubbart of the Seminoles (28-20, 18-13 ACC). The two starters lit it up in the early innings, combining for 11 strikeouts in the first three innings. Johnston continued to throw gas well into the evening, punching out a career-high 13 batters by the time he exited the game.
“I told the locker room before I came out here, ‘Reid Johnston was unbelievable,’” said head coach Elliott Avent. “…Reid Johnston pitches with so much heart; his performance tonight was outstanding.”
In addition to ending the game with a walk-off homer, Tresh also opened the scoring with a first-pitch solo bomb to lead off the bottom of the second inning. With both pitchers dealing from the mound up to that point, it was important for the Pack to draw first blood.
“Both of the pitchers threw really well, especially Reid who I thought was dominant out there,” Tresh said. “Obviously, a four-run lead is not going to do a lot for you when a grand slam puts them right back in the ballgame, but it was huge.”
The Pack owned the middlegame, extending its lead to 4-0 by the end of the fifth. Freshman shortstop Jose Torres (1-5) scored on a passed ball in the fourth and junior left fielder Jonny Butler (2-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB) hammered a two-run shot in the fifth to double NC State’s lead. Both of these instances occurred with two outs, a situation that the Wolfpack thrived in by going 4-for-12 with two outs.
“That’s just a belief in each other,” Avent said. “They don’t try to do too much at the plate. They know one through nine they can do things that can contribute to runs. They don’t try to do much, they just try to get it to the next guy. We did have some great two-out at-bats tonight, but on the other side of that coin, I think we left a few guys on base. You can contribute that to Florida State, who’s got an unbelievable pitching staff.”
Johnston’s 13-strikeout performance was dominant early on, but the righty showed signs of cracking towards the end of his night. The Seminoles put a pair of runners on base in both the fifth and sixth innings, but it was the seventh that saw his shutout come to an end.
With two on and two out, Johnston’s payoff pitch missed, loading the bases for Lacey, who knocked the 0-1 pitch over the center field wall for a game-tying grand slam. Even though its lead had just been erased with one swing of the bat, the Wolfpack dugout was as cool as the other side of the pillow.
“We really all believe in each other,” Tresh said. “If someone’s not bringing it to the table today, there’s someone there that’s going to be able to pick us up. I think everyone just trusts everyone. They didn’t panic or let things speed up, and that was the key: just slowing things down.”
After a scoreless eighth inning, the ninth brought one last explosive play to end the ballgame. Butler led off the bottom of the ninth with a double to left center, putting the winning run on base. Butler did not have to hustle home though, as Tresh smashed a walk-off two-run dinger to seal the 6-4 victory for the Pack.
“Honestly, I wasn’t trying to do too much,” Tresh said. “Just focus on my breathing and slow things down. I got what I was looking for and I took advantage of it.”
The Pack will look to clinch the series against the Seminoles on Friday, May 21. The game will air at 6:30 p.m. ACC Network Extra.
