No. 14 NC State baseball run-ruled Towson in a 14-4 victory, completing the Wolfpack’s first sweep of the season. The win marked NC State’s third consecutive mercy rule win.
“Towson’s got a chance to be really good,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “… If they stay healthy, they’re going to give a lot of people trouble.”
Despite the lopsided score, the win didn’t come easy — the Pack (9-2) played a weekend series out in Hawaii the weekend before. Along with a midweek game, the red-and-white pushed through fatigue to sweep the four-game series against the Tigers (1-10).
“I thought we played well; I thought we were tired,” Avent said. “We did that Hawaii thing and you come back. I don’t know how everyone’s feeling — I’m still tired from it. We had a game Wednesday and four games this weekend. … The guys sucked it up and played with a lot of toughness.”
The Pack got off to a hot start — an emerging trend for the team — scoring four runs in the first inning. A pair of errors gave the red-and-white two runners on base to open the game. The Wolfpack then utilized a pair of doubles from junior catcher Jacob Cozart and graduate third baseman Alec Makarewicz to jump out to a three-run lead. An RBI-single from redshirt freshman left fielder Drew Lanphere extended the lead to four.
NC State stretched its lead further in the third. After giving up a run in the top of the inning, the red-and-white loaded the bases. With graduate first baseman Garrett Pennington and Cozart on base, a single flew into left field, allowing Pennington to score. Lanphere then bopped a sacrifice fly into the outfield, allowing Cozart to tag up and score and forcing an early pitching change.
“Four games is tough on both teams,” Avent said. “We may have more arms than they do, so probably tougher on them than us, and obviously that played a big part.”
On the mound, freshman left-handed pitcher Ryan Marohn came out the gate strong. During his first four innings, Marohn only gave up one run, allowing the offense to work without pressure. However, trouble arrived in the fifth when Towson put a pair on base. The Tigers then blasted a three-run homer to suddenly claw back into the game. The freshman closed the inning and ultimately pitched 5.2 innings, giving up 11 hits and four runs, while recording five strikeouts.
“Marohn’s got really good stuff — he’s got as good of stuff for a freshman since we’ve had here since maybe Mike Rogers, Carlos Rodon, Jake Buchanon,” Avent said. “Got great stuff, and I was surprised they got 11 hits on him, so tip your hat to him because I thought he had good stuff today.”
After starting the game hot, Makarewicz was, without a doubt, the star of the game. The ECU transfer recorded three doubles on five at-bats while racking up five RBIs. Makarewicz has raked all season and is leading the team with 24 RBIs through 11 games.
“We just had our scouting report and the coaches gave us a good plan,” Makarewicz said. “We followed that plan, communicated with each other about what we were seeing.”
Makarewicz wasn’t the only standout batter for the red-and-white — sophomore designated hitter Josh Hogue also torched the Tigers at the plate. Hogue drilled the Wolfpack’s only home run of the day in the seventh inning. The three-run shot hit the side of the right-field pole and bounced fair. Hogue also hit a single and reached base on a fielder’s choice, successfully scoring after each.
While Makarewicz and Hogue stood out the most, the entirety of the Wolfpack’s lineup shined. Every starter in the lineup reached base, and all but one recorded a hit. Additionally, the Pack showed strong plate discipline, taking eight walks and only four strikeouts. All told it was a performance to be proud of for the Wolfpack at the plate.
NC State will continue its homestand on Tuesday, March 5, against Winthrop. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. and is available on ACC Network Extra.
