#21 Wolfpack Opens Weekend With 10-2 Win Over Ball State

Friday, April 26

Raleigh, N.C.

6 p.m.

NC State

23-16

Ball State

25-16-1

Ball State

NC State

#21 Wolfpack Opens Weekend With 10-2 Win Over Ball State

4/26/2024 10:04:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

RALEIGH, N.C. – Six strong innings from right-handed starting pitcher Sam Highfill and a grand slam from Alec Makarewicz powered the No. 21 NC State baseball team to a 10-2 victory over Ball State on Friday night.

NC State (23-16) scored in each of the first four frames to build an early 8-1 lead at Doak Field at Dail Park. Leadoff hitter Eli Serrano III scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0 Wolfpack in the first before Matt Heavner lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to double the Pack's lead in the second.

Jacob Cozart stretched NC State's lead to 3-0 with a two-out RBI single in the third, plating Garrett Pennington from second base. A double from Brandon Butterworth and a four-pitch walk from Chase Nixon then brought Luke Nixon to the plate with the bases loaded. Luke Nixon then drew a bases-loaded walk to extend the lead to 4-0.

Ball State (25-16-1) got on the board with Dylan Grego's RBI double in the fourth. Serrano III limited the damage with an excellent play in center field, gathering Grego's double off the wall before firing a strike to Luke Nixon at second base. Nixon then gathered the relay throw and threw out Nick Husovsky at home plate.

Makarewicz blew the game open with his team-high 17^th home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth. Makarewicz's grand slam marked his second slam of the season and was the Wolfpack's first since Luke Nixon smacked his first-career grand slam in a win over Notre Dame on March 29.

The Cardinals added a run in the sixth before RBI singles from Chase Nixon in the sixth and Josh Hogue in the seventh pushed the score to its final margin at 10-2.

Highfill (4-1) tossed six innings while allowing just five hits with six strikeouts. The right-hander needed just 90 pitches to record six innings pitched or more for the third time this season.

Freshman southpaw Ryan Marohn recorded his first-career save after firing three scoreless innings to close out Friday's victory. Marohn allowed just one hit with no walks while firing three strikeouts.

The Wolfpack offense drew 11 walks in Friday's win, highlighted by Cozart and Chase Nixon logging three free passes apiece. Makarewicz paced NC State with four RBI.

UP NEXT
NC State continues its series against the Cardinals on Saturday afternoon at Doak Field. Saturday's matchup is set for 3 p.m. and will stream live on ACC Network Extra.