Pack homers five times, Johnston throws gem in Regional-opening win

NC State baseball started the regional round on the right foot Friday, topping 3-seed Alabama 8-1 to start the Ruston Regional 1-0 thanks to five homers and a great start from Reid Johnston.

If there were any concerns about a prolonged slump for NC State’s hitters following a 1-0 loss to Duke in the ACC title game, they were quickly put to rest in this one, as the Wolfpack piled up eight runs on nine hits, and drove in every run via the long ball. Devonte Brown sent two solo shots out of the park, and Luca Tresh (solo shot) Tyler McDonough (two RBIs) and Jose Torres (three RBIs) all homered for the Wolfpack against the Crimson Tide. 

Reid Johnston, who finished the regular season and has started the postseason on a tear, was once again stellar to start the regional round. In eight innings, he allowed just one run on four hits, struck out seven and walked just three. Johnston’s fastball command was superb, as he threw 63 of his 98 total pitches for strikes.  

Johnston was particularly strong in the early innings, retiring 10 straight batters after surrendering a one-out double in the first. His lengthy outing was exactly what NC State needed in the opening game of the regional, allowing the Pack to conserve most its bullpen, including closer Evan Justice, for the rest of the weekend. 

Chris Villaman finished out the game for NC State in the ninth, and set down all three batters he faced, striking out the last two. 

The Crimson Tide got a one-out double from William Hamiter in the top of the first, but thanks to a heads-up play by J.T. Jarrett to turn two, Johnston got through the opening inning on four pitches. 

NC State took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second with back-to-back jacks. Tresh hammered a pitch out to left for a solo shot. It would have been a two-run homer had Torres not been picked off second following a one-out double. Brown made sure the Pack got its two-run lead, however, blasting a shot over the left-field wall to follow Tresh. 

The Pack doubled its lead as the ball continued to fly in the bottom of the third, as, following a one-out walk for Austin Murr, McDonough launched a two-run missile to right field to make it 4-0. 

Alabama appeared to lead off the top of the fifth with a double from Zane Denton, but Brown played it perfectly off the wall and fired to second for the out. It counted as a hit to end Johnston’s streak of retired batters at 10 straight, but ended up saving a run. Jackson Tate put the Tide on the board with a two-out solo shot that would have cut the lead in half if not for Brown’s throw. 

The Wolfpack got that run back plus two more in the bottom of the fifth, as Torres launched his team’s fourth homer of the day out to left center following one-out walks by Jonny Butler and Terrell Tatum to make it 7-1. That homer ended the day of Alabama starter Tyler Ras, who the Pack touched up for seven runs on seven hits and three walks in 7.1 innings.

Brown closed out the scoring with his second homer of the game in the bottom of the eighth, as he obliterated a pitch over the left-field wall. 

NC State will now face the winner of Louisiana Tech and Rider, who will play at 7 p.m. Friday, in the winner’s bracket at 7 p.m. Saturday.