The sky is no longer falling in Raleigh as NC State baseball snapped its five-game losing streak in a 10-2 home victory over Canisius.

The Wolfpack (4-5) certainly needed a win entering the day and delivered. While it’s still very early in the season and one series never defines a baseball season, dropping five games early put the Pack in a precarious position. With hopes of hosting an NCAA Regional and perhaps making a postseason run, it’s critical to stack wins and build confidence before reaching the gauntlet of ACC play. The Golden Griffins (0-4) provided a perfect opportunity for a get-right series.

“It’s good to win — especially when you lost five in a row,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “This is a game that can drive you crazy and it’s a game that doesn’t give you a lot of things that you don’t work for.”

After a lackluster performance against Ohio State last week, junior left-handed pitcher Dominic Fritton bounced back in a big way. The southpaw posted a career-high 12 Ks against Canisius, at one point striking out six consecutive batters. Fritton also cut down on his walks significantly, with just two. While Fritton has struggled to find the zone early this season, he finally found it against the Golden Griffins, giving him a major confidence boost.

“This is a guy that worked really hard in the offseason,” Avent said. “With his body, nutrition, strength and when you put all that time in, it’s nice to have results. … His curveball was good today and he had his fastball in good spots.”

While the stat line was outstanding for Fritton, arguably the more impressive part of his performance was responding under pressure. The Golden Griffins punched the Wolfpack in the mouth early with a first-inning run, putting Fritton under pressure early. The lefty bounced back immediately with a strikeout to escape the inning. Later in the fifth, Canisius then loaded the bases with no outs. With no margin for error, Fritton remained poised and dealt three straight strikeouts to exit the inning.

“I just try to flush the walks and just attack each pitch at a time,” Fritton said. “The result was there, so I was happy about it.”

The game also proved to be a bounce-back moment for NC State’s hitters. Over the Pack’s previous four games, the red-and-white totaled just seven runs. The ice-cold lineup woke up against the Golden Griffins. Earning 12 hits and a pair of home runs, the Wolfpack posed a consistent threat at the plate. While it’s just one game, seeing hits and getting on base should build the squad’s confidence — much needed after the Wolfpack’s slow start.

Freshman center fielder Ty Head proved to be especially impactful. The Florida native hit his first career home run in the second inning — a grand slam over right field. The homer was a no-doubter as soon as it left the bat and gave NC State a 4-1 lead early. Later, Head nearly hit a second home run to the same spot, but the ball fell just short and resulted in a double. With two hits, five RBIs, and a sacrifice fly to drive in a run, it was an outstanding showing from the freshman.

“It felt really good,” Head said. “I didn’t hit a home run all fall and the boys were all pushing on me, so it felt really good to help the team.”

With the bats cooking and Fritton handling the first six innings, Avent turned to sophomore right-handed pitcher Jaxon Lucas to close the final three innings. The righty delivered with a career-high six strikeouts while giving up just one walk and one hit. Pounding the zone with ease, Lucas showed major improvement today, building off of a solid freshman season last year.

While Canisius isn’t the toughest competition, seeing a win is always valuable. Earning this one is an opportunity for the Wolfpack to regain its confidence after a shaky start to the year. With two more games left in the series, there’s a real chance to put good habits and get into a rhythm this weekend for NC State.

“You only get confidence from winning,” Avent said. “Confidence is a thing that you have to have for success. It doesn’t normally come from practice — it has to come in an event.”

The Wolfpack and the Golden Griffins will match up again Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will be available on ACC Network Extra.