NC State defeated Tennessee Tech 10-6 Tuesday night at Doak Field, behind a four-RBI night from freshman left fielder Luca Tresh.
The Wolfpack (32-10) was down by two runs in the seventh inning, when Tresh came up to bat. Tresh launched a three-run home run to right-center field to give NC State a lead it wouldn’t give up.
“I was looking offspeed first pitch and just missed it, and after that I was sitting fastball,” Tresh said. “Right timing and right spot.”
Tresh, freshman center fielder Tyler McDonough and junior shortstop Dillon Cooper each had two hits to lead the Wolfpack. Sophomore left-handed pitcher Nick Swiney led the way out of the bullpen with eight strikeouts.
“As you saw we can change the momentum of the game, Luca had a really good piece of hitting,” Swiney said. “Then we kind of have that bulldog mentality out there, like when we get going with things I think we’re in pretty good shape.”
The Golden Eagles (17-21) didn’t waste any time getting started, as in the first inning after a leadoff walk, Kevin Strohschein hit a two-run home run to left field to give them a quick 2-0 lead.
After a leadoff walk, and a perfectly executed hit-and-run from Cooper, Butler hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored sophomore second baseman J.T. Jarrett to give NC State its first run of the game in the second inning
“Just so proud of Dillon Cooper, he’s one of the leaders of our ball club,” said head coach Elliot Avent. “He knows how to do it, he’s a great teammate, he wants to win, and he came up big tonight, with a big hit and run and bunt single.”
In the third inning, Tennessee Tech added to its lead. After a two-out walk kept the inning alive, Anthony Carrera smoked a two-run home run to right field to give them a 4-1 lead.
The Wolfpack responded after a leadoff walk and a bloop single from sophomore designated hitter Patrick Bailey put runners on first and third. A wild pitch scored senior first baseman Evan Edwards and moved Bailey to second. Tresh then smashed a single up the middle to score Bailey. The Pack then tied the game on a sacrifice fly to center field from Jarrett that scored Tresh.
The Golden Eagles started off the fifth inning with a single and a double to put runners on second and third. Then, Nathan McMean crushed a single up the middle to score both runners and give them a 6-4 lead.
The Wolfpack got key innings out of the bullpen from Swiney that kept them in the game. In 3.2 innings of work, the tall lefty did not allow a hit and struck out eight batters.
“Nick’s got as good as stuff as there is in this league,” Avent said. “When he starts believing in who he is, and himself, which he has started to do his last three outings, he has been unbelievable and tonight he just pitched so under control. He threw 48 pitches and it felt like he only threw 25.”
In the seventh inning, the Wolfpack was able to get the first two batters on base. After a Bailey, strikeout Tresh came up to bat. Tresh proceeded to crush a fastball to right-center field that scored McDonough and Edwards to give NC State its first lead of the game at 7-6.
The Wolfpack added to its lead in the eighth inning when Butler smashed a two-run double down the left field line scoring Jarrett and Cooper.
Later in the inning with the bases loaded Butler scored on a wild pitch, to give the Wolfpack their 10th and final run of the game.
Junior Alec Barger came on to close the game for the Wolfpack, he recorded a groundout, and two strikeouts to end the game.
NC State will be back in conference play this weekend in South Bend, Indiana when it takes on Notre Dame in a three-game series. First pitch is set for Friday at 6 p.m. at Frank Eck Stadium.
