Elliott Avent Wins 1,000th Game at NC State in Series-Clinching Victory Over VCU

Sunday, February 18

Raleigh, N.C.

1 p.m.

NC State

2-1

VCU

1-2

VCU

NC State

Photo by: Mollie Mitchell

Elliott Avent Wins 1,000th Game at NC State in Series-Clinching Victory Over VCU

2/18/2024 5:09:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Former Players' Tribute Video to Coach Avent

RALEIGH, N.C. – 1,000 wins in Red and White.

Behind the Wolfpack's 5-3 series-clinching victory over VCU on Sunday, NC State head coach Elliott Avent captured his 1,000^th win as the Pack's skipper. The 28-year NC State head coach becomes just the fifth active head coach in Division I baseball and the 35^th qualifying Division I head coach (active or inactive) to reach 1,000 wins at one school.

Avent's 1,000^th win as NC State's head coach came behind a dominant debut from freshman left-hander Ryan Marohn, who tossed five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. Avent's first NC State squad in 1997 helped him post his first Wolfpack win 9,864 days ago with a 6-0 shutout victory over Charleston Southern.

NC State built an early 3-0 lead over the first three frames. Josh Hogue's RBI groundout in the bottom of the second gave the Wolfpack a 1-0 lead. NC State then posted a two-spot in the bottom of the third, scoring both its runs with two outs in the frame. Hogue smacked an RBI single to center field to make it 2-0 before Luke Nixon notched his first-career hit and RBI to extend the lead to 3-0.

Marohn struck out Rams' right fielder Aden Hill on three pitches to escape a bases-loaded situation in the top of the fifth. The strikeout marked his eighth of the afternoon on his 89^th and final pitch of his collegiate debut.

Drew Lanphere stretched the Pack's lead to 4-0 with an RBI single in the fifth. Lanphere's second hit of the afternoon also marked his first-career RBI.

VCU and NC State traded runs in the sixth inning before the Rams' Nic Ericsson led off the top of the seventh with a solo homer to left field, trimming the Pack's lead to 5-2. Freshman Jaxon Lucas entered for the Wolfpack following Ericsson's solo shot and tossed a scoreless frame, notching his first-career strikeout.

The Rams drew another run closer with a solo shot from Ethan Iannuzzi with two outs in the eighth inning. Freshman Jacob Dudan then entered with the tying run at the plate in the frame, shaking off a hit batter before striking out VCU leadoff batter Casey Kleinman to end the threat.

Brandon Butterworth and Matt Heavner combined for a 6-4-3 double play to retire the first two outs of the ninth inning before a groundout secured a series victory for the Wolfpack. Dudan's scoreless 1.1 innings of work earned him his first-career save.

Garrett Pennington paced the Wolfpack with a three-hit performance, while Eli Serrano III and Lanphere each registered two hits apiece.

The freshman pitching trio of Marohn, Lucas and Dudan combined to pitch eight innings while allowing just one run with 12 strikeouts.

VCU starting pitcher Zachary Peters suffered the loss for the Rams after allowing three runs (one earned) over three innings of work.

UP NEXT
NC State heads to Hawaii for its first road series of the 2024 season, opening a three-game set against the Rainbow Warriors on Friday at Les Murakami Stadium. First pitch is set for 11:35 p.m. ET and will be televised on Spectrum Sports and streamed live on ESPN+.