North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
8-1
Sacred Heart
1-6
Wolfpack Flexes its Muscle with 17-4 Victory over Sacred Heart
2/27/2026 8:26:00 PM | Baseball
NC State (8-1) has a +94-run differential after scoring 114 runs this season while giving up just 20. It is the third run-rule victory of the season, and the second straight game the Wolfpack has ended the game early. NC State had 10 run-rule victories in 2025 and has already won five games by double digits.
Sherman Johnson was a double shy of the Wolfpack's first cycle since 2006, going 3-4 with three RBIs, including his first Wolfpack home run. Andrew Wiggins came off the bench to hit his second home run of the season, finishing with a career-high four RBIs.
Leadoff hitter Ty Head hit his fifth home run of the season. Head has already surpassed his total from last season in 47 fewer games. Mikey Ryan also went deep for his second of the season. The Wolfpack has 22 home runs in 2026, and Friday was the third time this season the Wolfpack has had a game with four home runs.
Ryan Marohn (2-0) earns the win after four innings, giving up one earned run on three hits, with three strikeouts and one walk. Freshman Sam Harris records his first college save by pitching three innings, permitting only one base runner via a walk and striking out two.
Sacred Heart (1-6) scored their four runs on a three-run home run and a runner crossing home plate before an out on a pickoff from Marohn.
Pioneer's starter Bryan Matuschat went 4.1 innings, allowing 14 runs on 12 hits, walking three and striking out just two. Dave Yorke had three RBIs for the visitors after his home run.
Luke Nixon recorded his third multi-hit game of the season, starting the game with a sacrifice fly that made it 1-0. He would later double in the bottom of the fifth to drive in two more runs.
It was 3-0 just five batters into the game after Johnson's 397-foot home run to left-center field. Johnson hit the Wolfpack's first triple of the season in the bottom of the third, bringing in Wiggins. The Pack scored six runs in the third as Ryan added a two-run home run and Wyatt Peifer hit a sacrifice fly.
Another six runs came in the bottom of the fifth, including Nixon's double, Wiggins' home run, a Brandon Novy sacrifice fly, and then Wiggins came up again and walked with the bases loaded.
The Wolfpack and Pioneers continue the series tomorrow, Feb. 28, with game two set for 2 p.m. at the Doak and broadcast on ACCNX.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Marohn, Ryan (2-0)
L: Matuschat, Bryan (1-2)
S: Harris, Sam (1)
Batting:
HR: Yorke, Dave 1
RBI: Yorke, Dave 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Yorke, Dave 1 ; Donohue, Ronan 1 ; Cincinnati, Kyle 1 ; Cook, Will 1
Batting:
2B: Nixon, Luke 1 ; Lanphere, Drew 1 ; Johnson, Rett 1
3B: Johnson, Sherman 1
HR: Head, Ty 1 ; Johnson, Sherman 1 ; Ryan, Mikey 1 ; Wiggins, Andrew 1
RBI: Nixon, Luke 3 ; Novy, Brandon 1 ; Head, Ty 2 ; Johnson, Sherman 3 ; Peifer, Wyatt 1 ; Ryan, Mikey 2 ; Wiggins, Andrew 4
SF: Nixon, Luke 1 ; Novy, Brandon 1 ; Peifer, Wyatt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fraasman, Brayden 1 ; Nixon, Luke 1 ; Bonn, Preston 1 ; McHugh, Chris 2 ; Head, Ty 2 ; Lanphere, Drew 2 ; Johnson, Sherman 2 ; Johnson, Rett 2 ; Ryan, Mikey 2 ; Wiggins, Andrew 2
SB: Mitchell, Devin 1 ; Ryan, Mikey 1
CS: Johnson, Sherman 1
HBP: Nixon, Luke 1
