NC State Baseball Stays Undefeated with Win Over Princeton
In an exciting showdown in Raleigh, No. 17 NC State baseball edged out Princeton 6-4, maintaining their perfect start to the season at 4-0. The Wolfpack showcased a blend of power hitting and solid pitching to secure the series opener against the Tigers.
The game kicked off with Ryan Marohn on the mound for NC State. Marohn delivered a strong performance, going five innings and striking out eight while allowing four hits and two walks over 89 pitches.
He set the tone early before handing the ball to Aiden Kitchings, who kept the momentum going with two innings of one-hit ball and three strikeouts. Colin Black closed the game with authority, striking out six over two innings and allowing just one hit.
Princeton struck first in the second inning, capitalizing on a balk and a single to put runners on the corners. Joe Monembeau then singled to center, bringing home the Tigers' first run. They extended their lead in the third with a hard-hit ball down the line and an error by NC State's freshman Rhett Johnson, making it 2-0.
NC State responded in the third inning when Ty Head singled and advanced on a hit by Chris McHugh and a throwing error. Head eventually scored on a strikeout throw to first, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
Chris McHugh tied it up in the fifth with a solo home run to left field, his first of the season. It was a blistering 104 mph shot off an 80 mph breaking ball, leveling the score at 2-2.
The seventh inning saw Princeton threaten with runners on second and third and no outs, but Kitchings and a sharp defensive play from Luke Nixon kept them scoreless.
In the eighth, Brayden Fraasman hit a grounder to third, allowing Ty Head to score and give the Wolfpack their first lead. Dalton Bargo, a Tennessee transfer, followed with his third homer of the year, a three-run blast to right field, extending the lead to four runs.
Princeton managed to cut the lead in half with a two-run homer, but Colin Black steadied himself to close out the game with a swinging strikeout, earning both the win and save.
NC State will continue their series against Princeton with a doubleheader on Saturday, looking to keep their perfect season intact. The first game is set to start at noon, as the Pack9 aims to continue their impressive run.