Hot Bats, Johnston’s Gem Lead #Pack9 To Series-Opening Win Over No. 11 North Carolina
3/26/2021 10:22:00 PM | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Behind 10 hits and a complete game performance by Reid Johnston, NC State baseball (6-9, 2-8 ACC) secured a 9-2 win over No. 11 North Carolina (13-7, 8-5 ACC) on Friday evening at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. to take the first game of the weekend series.
It marks the second top 15 win of the season and third-straight victory for the Wolfpack in Chapel Hill, which dates back to the 2019 series on May 16-18.
The Wolfpack scored eight of its nine runs in the first four innings, highlighted by Vojtech Mensik's second career grand slam. UNC starting pitcher Austin Love gave up all eight runs, marking the most he had allowed in a single game in the 2021 season.
For Johnston (2-0), it was the second complete game of his career as he yielded seven hits and just two walks while striking out four in his performance. He last accomplished the feat on March 30, 2019 in the team's 3-0 win over Virginia, and it is the third complete game thrown by an ACC pitcher this year.
Tyler McDonough, who led the offense with a 3-for-5 outing, got the scoring started with his one-out solo shot in the first. After Mensik's grand slam in the second inning with no outs, he delivered again with an RBI single to center field.
Devonte Brown made it 7-0 in the third inning when he crossed home plate on a Carolina miscue, but UNC responded with a run in its half of the inning as Danny Serretti's single up the middle knocked in a run.
In the fourth, McDonough crossed home plate on a Jonny Butler sacrifice fly to take back his team's seven-run lead. Three innings later, Terrell Tatum's single to center field scored Butler to make the score 9-1 and give the Pack its largest lead of the night.
Hunter Stokely homered to right field with two outs left in the game to try and get something going for the Heels, but Jose Torres made a pair of solid defensive plays to end the ball game.
SCORING RECAP
OF NOTE
ON DECK
Saturday, March 27 · @ North Carolina · 1 PM
It marks the second top 15 win of the season and third-straight victory for the Wolfpack in Chapel Hill, which dates back to the 2019 series on May 16-18.
The Wolfpack scored eight of its nine runs in the first four innings, highlighted by Vojtech Mensik's second career grand slam. UNC starting pitcher Austin Love gave up all eight runs, marking the most he had allowed in a single game in the 2021 season.
For Johnston (2-0), it was the second complete game of his career as he yielded seven hits and just two walks while striking out four in his performance. He last accomplished the feat on March 30, 2019 in the team's 3-0 win over Virginia, and it is the third complete game thrown by an ACC pitcher this year.
Tyler McDonough, who led the offense with a 3-for-5 outing, got the scoring started with his one-out solo shot in the first. After Mensik's grand slam in the second inning with no outs, he delivered again with an RBI single to center field.
Devonte Brown made it 7-0 in the third inning when he crossed home plate on a Carolina miscue, but UNC responded with a run in its half of the inning as Danny Serretti's single up the middle knocked in a run.
In the fourth, McDonough crossed home plate on a Jonny Butler sacrifice fly to take back his team's seven-run lead. Three innings later, Terrell Tatum's single to center field scored Butler to make the score 9-1 and give the Pack its largest lead of the night.
Hunter Stokely homered to right field with two outs left in the game to try and get something going for the Heels, but Jose Torres made a pair of solid defensive plays to end the ball game.
SCORING RECAP
- T1: McDonough crushed a solo shot to right center (1-0 NCSU, 1 out)
- T2: Mensik homered to left field for his second career grand slam (5-0 NCSU, no outs)
- T2: Murr scored from second on McDonough's single to center field (6-0 NCSU, 1 out)
- T3: With runners at the corners, a UNC miscue scored Brown (7-0 NCSU, 2 outs)
- B3: Serretti drove in Justice Thompson from second with a single up the middle (7-1 NCSU, two outs)
- T4: McDonough crossed home plate on Butler's sacrifice fly to center field (8-1 NCSU, no outs)
- T7: Tatum knocked in Butler from third with a single to center field (9-1 NCSU, 1 out)
- B9: Stokely homered to right field (9-2 NCSU, 1 out)
OF NOTE
- Mensik's grand slam was his first home run of the year, and it couldn't have come at a better time.
- McDonough extended his reached base streak to 32 games, which dates back to the beginning of the 2020 season.
- McDonough now ranks second on the team with three home runs this season.
- Along with McDonough, Tatum turned a multi-hit performance as he went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles.
- Dating back to 2019, Butler has reached base in 30 of his last 31 games.
ON DECK
Saturday, March 27 · @ North Carolina · 1 PM
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Johnston, Reid (2-0)
L: Austin Love (4-1)

Batting:
HR: McDonough, Tyler 1 ; Mensik, Vojtech 1
RBI: McDonough, Tyler 2 ; Butler, Jonny 1 ; Tatum, Terrell 1 ; Mensik, Vojtech 4
SF: Butler, Jonny 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Murr, Austin 1 ; McDonough, Tyler 2 ; Butler, Jonny 1 ; Torres, Jose 1 ; Tatum, Terrell 1 ; Brown, Devonte 2 ; Mensik, Vojtech 1
SB: Mensik, Vojtech 1

Batting:
HR: Hunter Stokely 1
RBI: Danny Serretti 1 ; Hunter Stokely 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Justice Thompson 1 ; Hunter Stokely 1
SB: Justice Thompson 1
CS: Caleb Roberts 1
HBP: Caleb Roberts 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
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