Friday, February 14
Raleigh, NC
11 a.m.
NC State
1-0
11
vs
1
Fordham
0-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
R
H
E
Fordham
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
6
2
NC State
1
0
0
0
2
0
4
4
11
10
1
Wolfpack Finishes Opening Day With Pair of Run-Rule Victories
2/14/2025 8:06:00 PM | Baseball
Raleigh, NC. – The No. 13 NC State baseball team captured their first two wins of the season as a pair of run-rule victories led the Wolfpack to a sweep of Fordham on Opening Day. In game one, the Pack won 11-1; in game two, NC State won 12-2 Friday, from the Doak.
The last time the Pack had an Opening Day doubleheader was against Davidson in 2021; The Pack also took both games.
NC State newcomers getting their first starts in an NC State uniform were Sophomore Chris McHugh, Junior Brayden Fraasman, and Freshman Ty Head. McHugh went 2-2 in game one with his first home run and scored three runs. Fraasman went 3-5, including a double and an RBI. Head recorded the game-winning RBI in the eighth inning to finish the game early.
Wolfpack starting pitcher Dominic Fritton (0-0) went four and a third strong innings, giving up just one run, zero earned, recording five strikeouts on his day. After giving up a lead-off single, Fritton was replaced by Junior reliever Andrew Shaffner, who got the Wolfpack out of the inning without any damage.
Shaffner (1-0) went 3.2 innings, only allowing three hits and one strikeout.
NC State (1-0, 0-0 ACC) opened the scoring in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. McHugh got NC State started, recording his first hit in a Wolfpack uniform, putting a runner in scoring position. Following McHugh's single, the first RBI of the season went to Alex Sosa on a ground out to third, giving the Wolfpack an early lead.
Fordham (0-1, 0-0 A10) tried to fight back the Wolfpack's early start, loading the bases in the second. Fritton got out of the inning with a punch out, leaving the bases loaded.
Fordham struck back with a sacrifice fly to right field by Carson Chavez to tie the game 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning.
Luke Nixon started the fifth inning by smacking a single to right center, starting a rally for the Wolfpack. Following Nixon's single, McHugh would draw a walk to get runners on first and second until Justin DeCriscio would get another run on the board, crushing a single to right field. Drew Lanphere would also join in on the scoring with an RBI single to right center, giving the Wolfpack a 3-1 lead and ending the fifth.
Schaffner returned to start the sixth, efficiently going three up and three down, keeping the Pack's momentum.
The bottom of the seventh was the dagger for the Pack, with seven consecutive players getting on base. Sosa hit an opposite-field two-run homer, his first of the season, to extend the lead for the Pack. Followed by Fraasmen recording an RBI single for his second hit of the game. Nixon would add the last run of the inning on a ground out to second, finishing the inning with a 7-1 lead.
With the first two batters getting on in the eighth for Fordham, Shaffner was able to rely on his defense, ending the inning with a 5-4-3 double play to get out of trouble.
Picking up where they left off in the seventh, McHugh's great day continued as he belted a 436ft solo-homer to dead-center. Fraasman followed with a single through the right side on the infield before Head would end the game with a ground ball second base, with a throwing error, to score two runs to secure the game.
Ten hits led to a dominating performance from the Wolfpack, while they were also able to draw nine walks, highlighted by the two homers from Sosa and McHugh.
GAME TWO
It was much of the same in game two for NC State, as 11 hits powered the offense, and Heath Andrews and Cooper Consiglio held the Rams to two hits while striking out eight.
Fordham jumped out to an early 1-0 lead from a wild pitch in the first inning. The lead lasted until the following half-inning.
NC State (2-0, 0-0 ACC) started with a leadoff single from Nixon. It was McHugh and Fraasman again leading the offensive charge, getting on base with a walk and a sacrifice fly to tie the game. In his first game with the Wolfpack, left fielder Matt Ossenfort hammered a line-drive two-run homer over the right field wall to give the Pack a 3-1 lead. It was also his first home run with NC State.
Fordham (0-2, 0-0 A10) cut into the Wolfpack lead in the second, eventually scoring a run on a wild pitch, cutting the lead to 3-2 Wolfpack.
Andrews (1-0) retired the side in order in the fourth inning, striking out two batters in the process. Andrews' five strikeouts were a career-high.
Base hits from Justin DeCriscio and Brandon Novy capped off with an RBI double to center from Head in the fourth inning to extend the lead. Nixon joined the rally with a double of his own, scoring two more runs before McHugh barreled an RBI single to extend the score to 7-2 for the Pack by the end of the fourth.
In the fifth inning, Consiglio would come in to relieve Andrews, who had gone five solid innings. Consiglio pitched two innings of shutout baseball to send the P
The bases were loaded for the Pack when the pitcher balked the runner in; before Head ended, the game with a ground ball through the right side to score the winning run and end the game again.
UP NEXT
NC State looks to secure the series sweep in Saturday's matchup. The first pitch is set for 2 p.m. and will stream live on ACC Network Extra.
The last time the Pack had an Opening Day doubleheader was against Davidson in 2021; The Pack also took both games.
NC State newcomers getting their first starts in an NC State uniform were Sophomore Chris McHugh, Junior Brayden Fraasman, and Freshman Ty Head. McHugh went 2-2 in game one with his first home run and scored three runs. Fraasman went 3-5, including a double and an RBI. Head recorded the game-winning RBI in the eighth inning to finish the game early.
Wolfpack starting pitcher Dominic Fritton (0-0) went four and a third strong innings, giving up just one run, zero earned, recording five strikeouts on his day. After giving up a lead-off single, Fritton was replaced by Junior reliever Andrew Shaffner, who got the Wolfpack out of the inning without any damage.
Shaffner (1-0) went 3.2 innings, only allowing three hits and one strikeout.
NC State (1-0, 0-0 ACC) opened the scoring in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. McHugh got NC State started, recording his first hit in a Wolfpack uniform, putting a runner in scoring position. Following McHugh's single, the first RBI of the season went to Alex Sosa on a ground out to third, giving the Wolfpack an early lead.
Fordham (0-1, 0-0 A10) tried to fight back the Wolfpack's early start, loading the bases in the second. Fritton got out of the inning with a punch out, leaving the bases loaded.
Fordham struck back with a sacrifice fly to right field by Carson Chavez to tie the game 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning.
Luke Nixon started the fifth inning by smacking a single to right center, starting a rally for the Wolfpack. Following Nixon's single, McHugh would draw a walk to get runners on first and second until Justin DeCriscio would get another run on the board, crushing a single to right field. Drew Lanphere would also join in on the scoring with an RBI single to right center, giving the Wolfpack a 3-1 lead and ending the fifth.
Schaffner returned to start the sixth, efficiently going three up and three down, keeping the Pack's momentum.
The bottom of the seventh was the dagger for the Pack, with seven consecutive players getting on base. Sosa hit an opposite-field two-run homer, his first of the season, to extend the lead for the Pack. Followed by Fraasmen recording an RBI single for his second hit of the game. Nixon would add the last run of the inning on a ground out to second, finishing the inning with a 7-1 lead.
With the first two batters getting on in the eighth for Fordham, Shaffner was able to rely on his defense, ending the inning with a 5-4-3 double play to get out of trouble.
Picking up where they left off in the seventh, McHugh's great day continued as he belted a 436ft solo-homer to dead-center. Fraasman followed with a single through the right side on the infield before Head would end the game with a ground ball second base, with a throwing error, to score two runs to secure the game.
Ten hits led to a dominating performance from the Wolfpack, while they were also able to draw nine walks, highlighted by the two homers from Sosa and McHugh.
GAME TWO
It was much of the same in game two for NC State, as 11 hits powered the offense, and Heath Andrews and Cooper Consiglio held the Rams to two hits while striking out eight.
Fordham jumped out to an early 1-0 lead from a wild pitch in the first inning. The lead lasted until the following half-inning.
NC State (2-0, 0-0 ACC) started with a leadoff single from Nixon. It was McHugh and Fraasman again leading the offensive charge, getting on base with a walk and a sacrifice fly to tie the game. In his first game with the Wolfpack, left fielder Matt Ossenfort hammered a line-drive two-run homer over the right field wall to give the Pack a 3-1 lead. It was also his first home run with NC State.
Fordham (0-2, 0-0 A10) cut into the Wolfpack lead in the second, eventually scoring a run on a wild pitch, cutting the lead to 3-2 Wolfpack.
Andrews (1-0) retired the side in order in the fourth inning, striking out two batters in the process. Andrews' five strikeouts were a career-high.
Base hits from Justin DeCriscio and Brandon Novy capped off with an RBI double to center from Head in the fourth inning to extend the lead. Nixon joined the rally with a double of his own, scoring two more runs before McHugh barreled an RBI single to extend the score to 7-2 for the Pack by the end of the fourth.
In the fifth inning, Consiglio would come in to relieve Andrews, who had gone five solid innings. Consiglio pitched two innings of shutout baseball to send the P
The bases were loaded for the Pack when the pitcher balked the runner in; before Head ended, the game with a ground ball through the right side to score the winning run and end the game again.
UP NEXT
NC State looks to secure the series sweep in Saturday's matchup. The first pitch is set for 2 p.m. and will stream live on ACC Network Extra.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Andrews, Heath (1-0)
L: DOWD, Aidan (0-1)
Base Running:
RUNS: KIRK, Taylor 1 ; LAPEKAS, Reid 1
SB: LAPEKAS, Reid 2
CS: BUCCIERO, Daniel 1
HBP: BUCCIERO, Daniel 1 ; LAPEKAS, Reid 1 ; Ford, S. 1
PO: BUCCIERO, Daniel 1
Batting:
2B: Nixon, Luke 2 ; Head, Ty 1
HR: Ossenfort, Matt 1
RBI: Nixon, Luke 2 ; McHugh, Chris 2 ; Fraasman, Brayden 1 ; Ossenfort, Matt 2 ; Head, Ty 2
SF: Fraasman, Brayden 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nixon, Luke 3 ; McHugh, Chris 2 ; Ossenfort, Matt 1 ; DeCriscio, Justin 1 ; Woodson, Ryder 1 ; Lanphere, Drew 1 ; Novy, Brandon 1 ; Head, Ty 2
SB: Nixon, Luke 1
HBP: DeCriscio, Justin 2 ; Heavner, Matt 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
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