David Tracey
Junior pitcher Nick Swiney delivers the ball against James Madison on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020 at Doak Field. Swiney pitched seven innings, striking out 11 while giving up two hits and two walks. The Wolfpack won the season-opener 4-0.
The NC State baseball team won the first game of its doubleheader with Tennessee Tech 6-2 behind four home runs and a strong outing from its starting pitcher.
After the Friday game between the Wolfpack (5-0) and the Golden Eagles (3-1) was pushed back a day due to snow, the doubleheader got started at noon on Saturday and the Wolfpack’s bats were relentless all game.
For his second start in a row, junior left-hander Nick Swiney (6 IP, 2 ER, 11 K) came out dealing and sat down the first six outs, and eight of the first nine. His 11 strikeouts equal his career best, which he recorded last Friday against James Madison.
Juniors catcher Patrick Bailey (1 for 4, HR, 2 RBI) and right fielder Devonte Brown (1 for 3, HR, 2 RBI) both hit solo shots while sophomore third baseman Vojtech Mensik (3 for 4, 2 HR, 3 RBI) notched a two-run dinger in the bottom of the fourth, just three batters after Brown’s leadoff shot, and a solo shot of his own in the eighth.
Bailey’s homer was his first of the year as the switch-hitting catcher has struggled at the plate to start this season. Hitting right-handed in the bottom of the first, Bailey’s home run just barely snuck over the fence while still fair.
The Pack and the Golden Eagles traded blows throughout the first three innings and with the score level at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth, Brown hit his solo shot to give the Pack back the lead. Mensik followed that up with his two-run bomb to extend the lead to 5-2.
Brown picked up his second RBI of the day in the fifth, bringing home sophomore Tyler McDonough (2 for 5) on a sac fly. After singling into left field, the center fielder was put into scoring position on third thanks to a two-base throwing error by Tennessee Tech’s pitcher on a failed pickoff attempt.
Swiney was replaced by sophomore righty Baker Nelson to start the seventh and Nelson closed out the game, striking out two across three perfect innings.
Junior first baseman Austin Murr (0 for 4, BB) scored the Pack’s seventh run of the day in the seventh inning, crossing the plate on a Bailey fielder’s choice and Mensik notched his second home run of the day in the eighth to extend the lead to six.
NC State will be back in action later in the afternoon for the second of its doubleheader against Tennessee Tech.