Skip to main content
nc-state logo

NC State cruises past Bryant to open Raleigh Regional 

image_6483441 (3)by:Noah Fleischman•05/31/24•

fleischman_noah

Garrett Pennington
NC State graduate first baseman Garrett Pennington. (Photo credit: ACC Communications)

The last time NC State hosted a regional, it dropped its opener to an upstart Army squad in 2018. That put the Wolfpack behind the eight-ball — eventually losing in the regional final to Auburn after fighting back through the loser’s bracket. 

Six years later, the red and white will not have the stress of coming through the elimination side of the bracket after its opening contest. NC State had a pain-free time with Bryant, the America East champion, in a 9-2 win in its first game of the Raleigh Regional on Friday night at Doak Field. 

“It’s big to win every game, but to claw your way out of a four-team tournament, losing that first one it’s not impossible, but tougher [to advance],” NC State coach Elliott Avent said. “Winning that first game helps a little bit.”

NC State advanced to play South Carolina, the 2-seed in the region, in the winner’s bracket at 6 p.m. Saturday evening. Bryant, meanwhile, will play in the first elimination game of the weekend against James Madison at noon.

Though the Wolfpack was able to take care of business against the Bulldogs, it had to come from behind after an early deficit. Bryant’s Jackson Phinney hit a solo homer over the left field fence, the Bulldogs’ first hit of the night. 

After that, however, NC State’s bats came alive. 

The Wolfpack scored three in the third inning, paced by a graduate third baseman Alec Makarewicz RBI double and four more in the sixth inning, highlighted by graduate outfielder Noah Soles’ two-run home run to right field. Those tow frames

Makarewicz, an East Carolina transfer, extended his hitting streak to 21 games in his first at-bat with the extra-base hit. He finished the night 4-for-5 at the plate with three doubles and a trio of RBI to pace the Wolfpack. 

“There wasn’t any panic in the dugout when we got behind,” Makaerewicz said. “We trust our plan. We communicate well in the dugout with what we’re seeing and I think that works really well for us.”

But as Makarewicz showed off his power, he wasn’t alone. Instead, graduate first baseman Garrett Pennington, a former Wichita State transfer, displayed his own. He added a pair of doubles himself to finish with two runs scored on the night in the two-hole. 

Pennington nearly tied his season high in doubles, which he set with three in the ACC Tournament with the same total against Virginia Tech last Wednesday night in Charlotte. The Lenexa, Kan., native now owns a team-best 25 doubles this spring.

As the duo combined for five extra-base hits, and like most of the year, it seemed that Makarewicz fed off Pennington’s ability to find the gap — because he did. 

“It’s definitely competitive, for sure,” Makarewicz said with a smile. “We’re rooting for each other to keep doing better, and keep getting better. It’s our last year. We’re just trying to soak it in and enjoy it.”

While NC State’s hitters found a groove against Bryant, its pitching staff did the same. 

Graduate right-handed pitcher Sam Highfill, who could have made his last start at Doak Field, went six innings with just two runs allowed on four hits, two walks and four strikeouts. He gave way to freshman reliever Jacob Dudan, who logged a three-inning save with six strikeouts to close the door on the Bulldogs. 

As the Wolfpack moves deeper into the weekend, its bullpen will be a commodity — and using just two arms in the opening game has NC State trending in the right direction. 

“There’s nobody else I’d rather see out there on a night like tonight,” Avent said of Highfill. “Obviously, he got us six innings, which is huge. … It was good to get the first win of the tournament.”

You may also like