N.C. State led 3-0 and had only managed one hit off Greensboro pitcher Ryan Clear when he walked junior first baseman Aaron Bates to start the third inning.

It was the last batter Clear would face.

Greensboro coach Mike Gaski called up freshman Greg Martin and the Wolfpack bats ignited.

State pounded out eight runs on seven hits in the inning en route to a 24-3 blow out of the Spartans Wednesday at Doak Field.

It was the third game this season in which the Pack scored 20 runs or more and the 14th time the team had reached double figures.

“There’s nothing like having a good offense,” sophomore second baseman Ramon Corona said. “You feed off each other. When you see other guys hitting well it pumps you up, too.”

Corona was the main contributor to State’s offensive explosion, going 3-7 with two doubles, a homerun and five RBI.

Coach Elliott Avent said Corona had been working a lot lately to improve his hitting and it paid off.

“Ramon was one of our best hitters all last year,” Avent said. “And he and Aaron Bates have been living in the batting cage.

“Their swings aren’t where they want them to be right now, but they’ve been working hard and it was nice to see some things work out for Ramon.”

Sophomore Matt Payne got his first start of the season for the Pack on the mound and picked up the win going five innings, giving up all three of Greensboro’s runs in the fifth.

Payne said getting the early lead helped him settle down on the mound.

“Getting the lead helps a lot,” Payne said. “We got eight runs in the third and after that I just went out and threw strikes.”

Avent said Payne’s start was positive, but not as good as it could have been.

“It was a good outing, but Matt Payne’s better than that,” Avent said. “He gave up three runs in the fifth and actually in the fourth he got hit pretty hard. Matt Payne needs to get it going because he’s a better pitcher than that.”

In the midst of the State’s stellar day at the plate senior center fielder Matt Camp went 1-for-2 and extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Camp said he struggled early in the year, but feels comfortable at the plate now.

“Early in the year everything was off kilter,” Camp said. “So I switched bats and ten games ago things started feeling good and I hope it keeps going.”

The Pack next hosts top-ranked Georgia Tech in a three game series that begins Friday and Camp said he feels like State’s offense can compete with the Yellow Jackets’.

“Guys are hitting well and we’re all kind of coming together,” Camp said. “That’ll be huge when we face a big team like Georgia Tech who can swing with us.”