The NC State baseball team beat the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks for the second time this season 9-1 on Tuesday, May 11 at Doak Field in its final midweek home game.
The Wolfpack (23-14) hit four home runs and got an excellent game from freshman starting pitcher Chris Villaman (8 IP, 2 H, ER, 12 K) to beat the Seahawks (26-17).
“To win 14 out of 17 with this schedule is really good, but to do it after getting off to the start we got off, all the injuries, I just can’t say enough about these guys,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “I just continue to be impressed by our guys, and they’re just doing it shorthanded, but they keep doing it, so they’re an impressive bunch.”
After a scoreless first inning, the Pack drew first blood in the bottom of the second as junior right fielder Devonte Brown (2-4, 3 RBI, HR) hit an RBI single that brought in sophomore catcher Luca Tresh (1-4, RBI, HR) to put the Pack up 1-0. Then with two outs, sophomore third baseman Vojtech Mensik (1-4, 2 RBI, HR) hit a two-run bomb that scored Brown to put the Pack up 3-0.
The scoring continued in the bottom of the third as junior left fielder Jonny Butler (2-4, 2 RBI, HR) hit an RBI groundout that scored junior first baseman Austin Murr (0-5), then Tresh hit a two-out solo shot to put the Pack up 5-0.
The Seahawks got on the board with a solo home run of their own in the top of the fourth.
The Pack scored again in the bottom of the fifth as Butler hit a solo home run to put the Pack up 6-1. The home run was Butler’s ninth of the season.
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“My confidence is at an all-time high right now,” Butler said. “I’m just trying to take every at-bat seriously and not give away any pitches, because baseball is a hard sport and you never know when it’s gonna go south.”
After a scoreless sixth inning, the Pack got on the board again in the bottom of the seventh as Butler scored on a passed ball to put the Pack up 7-1. With two outs, Brown hit a two-run home run that scored junior designated hitter/left fielder Terrell Tatum (0-2, 2 BB) to make the score 9-1.
That was all the scoring that would be done on the night as Villaman and freshman pitcher Matt Willadson (1.0 IP, H, 2 K) finished off the win.
Villaman got the win in what was perhaps his best performance of the season, tallying a career-high 12 strikeouts.
“I just wanted to hit my spot and throw strikes,” Villaman said. “I’ve just been working with [Avent] and trying to create a good routine for me, and it’s been working of late.”
The Pack has now won 14 out of its last 17 games and will look to keep the momentum going as it nears the ACC Tournament.
Next up, the Pack travels to take on Pitt in a weekend series Friday, May 14 through Sunday, May 16.
