Friday, May 31
Raleigh, N.C.
7 p.m.
NC State
34-20
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36-20
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Photo by: Gregg Forwerck
#Pack9 Opens Raleigh Regional With 9-2 Win Over Bryant
5/31/2024 10:54:00 PM | Baseball
Wolfpack Faces Second-Seeded South Carolina on Saturday Night
RALEIGH, N.C. – The top-seeded NC State baseball team cruised to a 9-2 victory over fourth-seeded Bryant on the opening night of the NCAA Raleigh Regional at Doak Field.
NC State (34-20), the No. 10 overall national seed, used three multi-run innings to open its first home Regional since 2018. After Bryant (36-20) struck first with a solo shot in the top of the second, NC State answered with a three-run third as Garrett Pennington and Alec Makarewicz led off the frame with back-to-back doubles. Makarewicz's RBI double marked his second of three doubles on the night as the Wolfpack knotted the score at 1-1.
Brandon Butterworth smacked a go-ahead single through the right side for a 2-1 lead. Luke Nixon then dragged a sacrifice bunt to knock in the Pack's third run of the night. The Wolfpack logged four hits to plate its three runs in the third.
NC State stretched its lead to six runs behind four runs in the bottom of the sixth. After Luke Nixon led off the frame with a walk, Noah Soles then launched a towering two-run homer into the trees beyond the right-field wall for a 5-1 Wolfpack lead. Makarewicz then made it a 6-1 game when he singled through the left side to score Eli Serrano III. Butterworth capped off the four-run frame with an RBI single to center field to make it 7-1.
Sam Highfill (6-2) tossed a gem in his first postseason start at Doak Field, pitching into the seventh inning while allowing just two runs and four hits with four strikeouts. Highfill used a pair of double plays to limit his pitch count to 75 pitches, facing only three batters apiece in the third, fourth and fifth frames.
Bryant trimmed its deficit to 7-2 with back-to-back doubles in the seventh before NC State answered with two more in the bottom of the eighth to push the score to its final margin at 9-2. Makarewicz smacked his third double of the night to make it 8-2 before Alex Sosa drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 9-2.
Jacob Dudan nailed down his sixth save of the season after pitching three hitless innings to end the game. Dudan struck out a career-high six batters in his dominant relief appearance.
Pennington, who smacked two doubles in the win, moved into a tie for fourth place in single-season NC State history with 25 doubles. Makarewicz also jumped into the top 10 in the category, tying for eighth in program history with 23 doubles on the season.
Makarewicz paced the Wolfpack with four hits, while Pennington and Butterworth also each logged multi-hit outings with two hits apiece. Makarewicz, Soles and Butterworth all each had multiple RBI apiece.
UP NEXT
Top-seeded NC State will face off in the winner's bracket against second-seeded South Carolina on Saturday night. Saturday night's matchup is set for 6 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
NC State (34-20), the No. 10 overall national seed, used three multi-run innings to open its first home Regional since 2018. After Bryant (36-20) struck first with a solo shot in the top of the second, NC State answered with a three-run third as Garrett Pennington and Alec Makarewicz led off the frame with back-to-back doubles. Makarewicz's RBI double marked his second of three doubles on the night as the Wolfpack knotted the score at 1-1.
Brandon Butterworth smacked a go-ahead single through the right side for a 2-1 lead. Luke Nixon then dragged a sacrifice bunt to knock in the Pack's third run of the night. The Wolfpack logged four hits to plate its three runs in the third.
NC State stretched its lead to six runs behind four runs in the bottom of the sixth. After Luke Nixon led off the frame with a walk, Noah Soles then launched a towering two-run homer into the trees beyond the right-field wall for a 5-1 Wolfpack lead. Makarewicz then made it a 6-1 game when he singled through the left side to score Eli Serrano III. Butterworth capped off the four-run frame with an RBI single to center field to make it 7-1.
Sam Highfill (6-2) tossed a gem in his first postseason start at Doak Field, pitching into the seventh inning while allowing just two runs and four hits with four strikeouts. Highfill used a pair of double plays to limit his pitch count to 75 pitches, facing only three batters apiece in the third, fourth and fifth frames.
Bryant trimmed its deficit to 7-2 with back-to-back doubles in the seventh before NC State answered with two more in the bottom of the eighth to push the score to its final margin at 9-2. Makarewicz smacked his third double of the night to make it 8-2 before Alex Sosa drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 9-2.
Jacob Dudan nailed down his sixth save of the season after pitching three hitless innings to end the game. Dudan struck out a career-high six batters in his dominant relief appearance.
Pennington, who smacked two doubles in the win, moved into a tie for fourth place in single-season NC State history with 25 doubles. Makarewicz also jumped into the top 10 in the category, tying for eighth in program history with 23 doubles on the season.
Makarewicz paced the Wolfpack with four hits, while Pennington and Butterworth also each logged multi-hit outings with two hits apiece. Makarewicz, Soles and Butterworth all each had multiple RBI apiece.
UP NEXT
Top-seeded NC State will face off in the winner's bracket against second-seeded South Carolina on Saturday night. Saturday night's matchup is set for 6 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Highfill, Sam (6-2)
L: WAINER (7-3)
S: Dudan, Jacob (6)
Batting:
2B: ZYONS 1 ; PETOSA 1 ; SMITH, M 1
HR: PHINNEY 1
RBI: SMITH, M 1 ; PHINNEY 1
Base Running:
RUNS: PETOSA 1 ; PHINNEY 1
Batting:
2B: Pennington, Garrett 2 ; Makarewicz, Alec 3 ; Sosa, Alex 1
HR: Soles, Noah 1
RBI: Makarewicz, Alec 3 ; Butterworth, Brandon 2 ; Sosa, Alex 1 ; Nixon, Luke 1 ; Soles, Noah 2
SH: Nixon, Luke 1 ; Heavner, Matt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Serrano III, Eli 2 ; Pennington, Garrett 2 ; Makarewicz, Alec 2 ; Butterworth, Brandon 1 ; Nixon, Luke 1 ; Soles, Noah 1
SB: Butterworth, Brandon 1
HBP: Serrano III, Eli 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
4
RBI
3
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
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RHP
/ Baseball
RHP/INF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF/OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
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