North Carolina State University Athletics
Saturday, March 2
Raleigh, N.C.
Noon
NC State
7-2
15
vs
4
Towson
1-8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Towson
0
0
2
0
2
0
0
4
3
0
NC State
6
0
0
1
8
0
X
15
7
2
#14 Wolfpack Notches Pair of Run-Rule Victories Over Towson on Saturday
3/2/2024 6:57:00 PM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. – The No. 14 NC State baseball team swept Saturday's doubleheader against Towson at Doak Field at Dail Park, stretching its winning streak to five straight games dating back to Sunday's series finale at Hawaii.
NC State (8-2) never trailed in both of Saturday's victories, registering a pair of run-rule victories in seven innings. The Wolfpack scored in the first inning of both matchups and maintained a lead for all 14 innings in the doubleheader sweep.
Game 1: NC State 15, Towson 4 (7 innings)
The Wolfpack scored six runs in the bottom of the first in a wire-to-wire 15-4 victory over Towson. NC State drew six of its 16 walks in the bottom of the first to push across six runs in the opening frame. Jake Bechtel opened the scoring with a bases-loaded RBI walk before Eli Serrano III and Chase Nixon notched back-to-back RBI singles to make it 3-0. The Pack scored its final three runs of the frame behind a sacrifice fly, a wild pitch and a balk.
Towson scored twice in the top of the third to trim its deficit to 6-2 before Jacob Cozart crushed his third homer of the season to make it 7-2 Wolfpack in the fourth.
Towson's Jeremy Wagner delivered a two-RBI single to cut the Pack's lead to 7-4 in the fifth. NC State answered Wagner's pair of runs in the top of the fifth with eight runs in the bottom half, batting around to stretch its lead to the game's final score at 15-4.
The Wolfpack needed just two hits to score eight runs in the inning, drawing seven walks to blow open game one of the doubleheader. After Soles and Garrett Pennington each knocked in runs to restore the Pack's lead to five runs, Alec Makarewicz continued his hot streak with his then team-high fifth homer of the season to make it 11-4 Wolfpack.
Chase Nixon drove a fly ball to left field for a sacrifice fly to make it 12-4 before a pair of bases-loaded walks and a wild pitch stretched the Pack's lead to 11 runs at 15-4.
Wolfpack starting pitcher Dominic Fritton (1-0) earned the win after tossing 4.2 innings with eight strikeouts. Reliever Jacob Halford entered with two outs in the top of the fifth and the tying run at the plate, bouncing back from a four-pitch walk to start his outing with a strikeout to end the frame. Halford stranded three Tigers on base after dropping in strike three to get Steven Vrolijk looking. He finished his outing tossing 1.1 innings with three strikeouts without allowing a hit.
Hollis Fanning recorded the final three outs for NC State after entering on a 3-0 count with a runner on first base in the top of the seventh inning. Fanning induced a flyout to right field before ending the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
Five NC State batters drew multiple walks in the victory. Makarewicz and Serrano III paced the Wolfpack with two hits apiece, while Cozart led the team with three runs scored.
Game 2: NC State 10, Towson 0 (7 innings)
NC State crushed a season-high six home runs to complete the doubleheader sweep on Saturday. First baseman Garrett Pennington ignited the barrage with his first homer of the season in the first inning to give the Pack a 1-0 lead.
Eli Serrano III then launched his first homer of the season an inning later, hammering an 0-1 pitch off the scoreboard for a two-run shot. Jacob Cozart hit his second home run of the day in the third inning, driving a two-run homer over the wall in right center to make it 5-0.
Luke Nixon and Brandon Butterworth smacked back-to-back solo homers in the fourth to extend the lead to 7-0. Nixon's solo shot marked his first-career home run, while Butterworth's blast to left field was his first in an NC State uniform.
Cozart homered for the second time in game two and for the third time on the afternoon with the Pack's sixth and final home run of the game, extending the lead to 8-0 in the fifth inning.
Wolfpack starting pitcher Logan Whitaker (2-1), who made his first start of the season in game two of Saturday's doubleheader, dominated Towson hitters over six scoreless innings. Whitaker allowed just five hits and issued zero walks in the efficient outing, striking out four batters to earn his second pitching victory of the season.
Freshman Camden Wimbish recorded the final three outs for NC State, tossing a scoreless seventh inning in his second-career appearance.
Pennington's RBI double in the sixth inning made it 9-0 before Josh Hogue pinch hit with one out in the seventh and delivered a run-rule, walk-off sacrifice fly to right field to trigger the 10-run rule in the bottom of the seventh inning.
NC State's most recent game with six home runs came in nonconference action in 2023, homering six times in a win over NJIT on March 4, 2023. Pennington paced the Wolfpack in game two with three hits, while Cozart led the Pack with three RBI and three runs scored. Game two of Saturday's doubleheader marked the first multi-home run game of Cozart's career.
Towson starting pitcher Nate Nabholz (0-2) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs (six earned) over four innings pitched.
UP NEXT
NC State looks to complete a 5-0 week at home in Sunday's series finale at Doak Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. and will be broadcasted live on ACC Network Extra.
NC State (8-2) never trailed in both of Saturday's victories, registering a pair of run-rule victories in seven innings. The Wolfpack scored in the first inning of both matchups and maintained a lead for all 14 innings in the doubleheader sweep.
Game 1: NC State 15, Towson 4 (7 innings)
The Wolfpack scored six runs in the bottom of the first in a wire-to-wire 15-4 victory over Towson. NC State drew six of its 16 walks in the bottom of the first to push across six runs in the opening frame. Jake Bechtel opened the scoring with a bases-loaded RBI walk before Eli Serrano III and Chase Nixon notched back-to-back RBI singles to make it 3-0. The Pack scored its final three runs of the frame behind a sacrifice fly, a wild pitch and a balk.
Towson scored twice in the top of the third to trim its deficit to 6-2 before Jacob Cozart crushed his third homer of the season to make it 7-2 Wolfpack in the fourth.
Towson's Jeremy Wagner delivered a two-RBI single to cut the Pack's lead to 7-4 in the fifth. NC State answered Wagner's pair of runs in the top of the fifth with eight runs in the bottom half, batting around to stretch its lead to the game's final score at 15-4.
The Wolfpack needed just two hits to score eight runs in the inning, drawing seven walks to blow open game one of the doubleheader. After Soles and Garrett Pennington each knocked in runs to restore the Pack's lead to five runs, Alec Makarewicz continued his hot streak with his then team-high fifth homer of the season to make it 11-4 Wolfpack.
Chase Nixon drove a fly ball to left field for a sacrifice fly to make it 12-4 before a pair of bases-loaded walks and a wild pitch stretched the Pack's lead to 11 runs at 15-4.
Wolfpack starting pitcher Dominic Fritton (1-0) earned the win after tossing 4.2 innings with eight strikeouts. Reliever Jacob Halford entered with two outs in the top of the fifth and the tying run at the plate, bouncing back from a four-pitch walk to start his outing with a strikeout to end the frame. Halford stranded three Tigers on base after dropping in strike three to get Steven Vrolijk looking. He finished his outing tossing 1.1 innings with three strikeouts without allowing a hit.
Hollis Fanning recorded the final three outs for NC State after entering on a 3-0 count with a runner on first base in the top of the seventh inning. Fanning induced a flyout to right field before ending the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
Five NC State batters drew multiple walks in the victory. Makarewicz and Serrano III paced the Wolfpack with two hits apiece, while Cozart led the team with three runs scored.
Game 2: NC State 10, Towson 0 (7 innings)
NC State crushed a season-high six home runs to complete the doubleheader sweep on Saturday. First baseman Garrett Pennington ignited the barrage with his first homer of the season in the first inning to give the Pack a 1-0 lead.
Eli Serrano III then launched his first homer of the season an inning later, hammering an 0-1 pitch off the scoreboard for a two-run shot. Jacob Cozart hit his second home run of the day in the third inning, driving a two-run homer over the wall in right center to make it 5-0.
Luke Nixon and Brandon Butterworth smacked back-to-back solo homers in the fourth to extend the lead to 7-0. Nixon's solo shot marked his first-career home run, while Butterworth's blast to left field was his first in an NC State uniform.
Cozart homered for the second time in game two and for the third time on the afternoon with the Pack's sixth and final home run of the game, extending the lead to 8-0 in the fifth inning.
Wolfpack starting pitcher Logan Whitaker (2-1), who made his first start of the season in game two of Saturday's doubleheader, dominated Towson hitters over six scoreless innings. Whitaker allowed just five hits and issued zero walks in the efficient outing, striking out four batters to earn his second pitching victory of the season.
Freshman Camden Wimbish recorded the final three outs for NC State, tossing a scoreless seventh inning in his second-career appearance.
Pennington's RBI double in the sixth inning made it 9-0 before Josh Hogue pinch hit with one out in the seventh and delivered a run-rule, walk-off sacrifice fly to right field to trigger the 10-run rule in the bottom of the seventh inning.
NC State's most recent game with six home runs came in nonconference action in 2023, homering six times in a win over NJIT on March 4, 2023. Pennington paced the Wolfpack in game two with three hits, while Cozart led the Pack with three RBI and three runs scored. Game two of Saturday's doubleheader marked the first multi-home run game of Cozart's career.
Towson starting pitcher Nate Nabholz (0-2) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs (six earned) over four innings pitched.
UP NEXT
NC State looks to complete a 5-0 week at home in Sunday's series finale at Doak Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. and will be broadcasted live on ACC Network Extra.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fritton, Dominic (1-0)
L: Tyler Russo (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Jordan Peyton 1
HR: Bryce Frederick 1
RBI: Bryce Frederick 2 ; Jeremy Wagner 2
SH: Taye Robinson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jordan Peyton 2 ; Elijah Dickerson 1 ; Bryce Frederick 1
Batting:
HR: Makarewicz, Alec 1 ; Cozart, Jacob 1
RBI: Soles, Noah 2 ; Pennington, Garrett 1 ; Makarewicz, Alec 2 ; Cozart, Jacob 1 ; Bechtel, Jake 1 ; Serrano III, Eli 1 ; Nixon, Chase 2 ; Heavner, Matt 1 ; Butterworth, Brandon 1
SF: Nixon, Chase 1 ; Heavner, Matt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pennington, Garrett 2 ; Makarewicz, Alec 2 ; Cozart, Jacob 3 ; Bechtel, Jake 1 ; Lanphere, Drew 1 ; Serrano III, Eli 2 ; Nixon, Chase 1 ; Heavner, Matt 2 ; Butterworth, Brandon 1
SB: Soles, Noah 1 ; Butterworth, Brandon 1
CS: Soles, Noah 1
HBP: Soles, Noah 1 ; Bechtel, Jake 1 ; Heavner, Matt 2
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
3
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF/RHP
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INF
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RHP
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LHP
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RHP
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OF/INF
/ BaseballINF
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OF
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/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF/OF
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RHP/C
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