Sophomore right fielder Brock Deatherage blasts a pitch from a Wright State pitcher in the Wolfpack's 10-8 loss on Feb. 26, 2016. Deatherage posted one RBI in two at-bats in the loss at Doak Field." />
Bryan Murphy
Sophomore right fielder Brock Deatherage blasts a pitch from a Wright State pitcher in the Wolfpack's 10-8 loss on Feb. 26, 2016. Deatherage posted one RBI in two at-bats in the loss at Doak Field.
The NC State baseball team throttled UNC-Asheville 13-1 Tuesday at Doak Field.
The Wolfpack’s (16-14, 5-7 ACC) 18-hit outburst was led by junior Josh McLain, who went 3 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs. Sophomore Brett Kinneman hit 3 for 5 with three RBIs and junior Brock Deatherage went 2 for 4 with two RBIs. The Bulldogs (12-16) struggled at the plate all game, tallying just three hits.
State also benefited from a fantastic outing by senior pitcher Johnny Piedmonte (1-0, 2.92 ERA), who allowed just one run and two hits over five innings. Piedmonte pitched efficiently to pick up the win in his first start of the season, throwing just 61 pitches.
“It was just a loose mentality,” head coach Elliott Avent said. “It was all about us tonight. We played well. We played very loose and we played very well. It all starts on the mound. Every game you see in baseball starts on the mound. Johnny Piedmonte, I thought, set the tone to allow us to do what we did.”
Piedmonte has been primarily a starter during his time at State, but hadn’t played that role for the Pack yet this season. He has battled injury at State, but said he was happy to be back on the mound today
“I felt good,” Piedmonte said. “I felt really healthy out there, which is the biggest thing for me. I just kept the ball down for the most part. I knew when we scored those runs in the beginning I just had to come out there and throw strikes.”
Asheville’s Nick Boyles (0-4, 9.00 ERA) fared much worse than Piedmonte, collecting the loss while allowing nine runs in just two innings.
The Wolfpack jumped all over the Bulldogs to start the game, putting three runs on the board in the first inning. Junior Stephen Pitarra started things off with a four-pitch walk. Freshman Will Wilson, McLain and freshman Brad Debo followed with three-straight triples, scoring two runs. An RBI groundout from junior Joe Dunand brought home the third run of the opening frame.
McLain’s solid day at the plate was a continuation of his season so far. He is hitting .356 on the year and has solidified his place at the top of the order.
“It’s just confidence going up there,” McLain said. “Just knowing it’s me versus him. Knowing that I’m just as good as whoever is against me. Just understanding that I am as good as them or a little better than them, at least in my head.”
State added two more runs in the second. Deatherage singled with one out, and Pitarra slapped a ground ball into left field on a perfectly executed hit-and-run. Wilson doubled to bring home Deatherage, and McLain picked up his second RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly that extended the Wolfpack lead to 5-0.
Boyles loaded the bases in the third before walking in a run. Jesse Juday entered in relief for the Bulldogs and gave up a two-run double to Kinneman and a two-run single to Deatherage to make it 10-0.
UNC-A got on the board in the fifth inning, as Brandon Lankford crushed a homerun over the right field wall off of Piedmonte. The solo shot was the first hit since the opening batter of the game for the Bulldogs, who produced just two baserunners in the first four innings.
State answered the Bulldogs’ first run immediately, as a two-out single off the bat of Pitarra scored Kinneman from third to make it 11-1. The Wolfpack would tally again in the sixth on a single from junior Evan Mendoza that made it 12-1. McLain scored on the play after leading the inning off with his third hit of the day.
Piedmonte was relieved following the fifth inning, but the bullpen picked up right where he left off. Junior Cody Beckman threw a scoreless sixth inning and senior Cory Wilder didn’t allow a hit over the next two innings. Freshman Dalton Feeney finished things off with a scoreless ninth inning.
State added on even more in the eighth. Mendoza led things off with a single and was brought home by a double off of the outfield wall from Kinneman, his third RBI of the day. This brought the score to 13-1 and the Wolfpack hits total to 18. The offensive outbreak was needed for the Pack according to McLain.
“It’s big because we’re going through some things,” McLain said. “A big lead like that and we got a lot of at bats. Some guys got to throw and some guys that don’t get at bats got to go in the game. I thought it was a good day as far as everybody getting into the game and understanding what their role is.”
The Wolfpack will be back in action on Friday when it starts a three-game series against Florida State at Doak Field.