DUGOUT REPORT: Second-Inning Surge Propels Pack Past Bulldogs

Members from No. 11 NC State and No. 10 Georgia met with the media following the Wolfpack’s 18-1 win over the Bulldogs in the 2024 NCAA Athens Super Regional.

Head coach Elliott Avent, right fielder Noah Soles, and catcher Jacob Cozart addressed the media on behalf of the Wolfpack. Head coach Wes Johnson, right-handed pitcher Chandler Marsh, and first baseman Corey Collins spoke for the Bulldogs.

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Buoyed by an 11-run assault in the second inning, No. 11 NC State (37-20) overwhelmed No. 10 Georgia (42-16) Saturday afternoon at Foley Field to open the 2024 NCAA Athens Super Regional, 18-1.

The Wolfpack set a new school record for most runs and hits in an inning, 11 each, in super-regional play with its outburst against the Bulldogs. State also clobbered five home runs on the day with Cozart drilling a pair of balls out of the park whilst Eli Serrano, III, Garrett Pennington, and Alec Makarewicz each hitting one homer.

Sam Highfill (7-2, 5.06 ERA) picked up the win after yielding one run on four hits and three walks while striking out two over six innings. Andrew Shaffner succeeded Highfill and retired all nine batters he faced to secure the three-inning save, the first of his collegiate career.

The Pack’s onslaught began with an RBI bunt single by Luke Nixon to bring Brandon Butterworth home from third base. After another bunt by Matt Heavner to load the bases, Soles cleared the bags with a three-run double down the right-field line before coming home himself on a two-run shot by Serrano to make it a 6-0 game

 Back-to-back singles by Pennington and Makarewicz, followed by a fielder’s choice by Cozart that resulted in Makarewicz reaching second safely on an error by Collins, loaded the bases for Butterworth who singled to plate Pennington, chasing Kolten Smith (9-3, 5.43 ERA) from the game after recording just three outs. Nixon and Soles would cap the inning’s scoring with two-run doubles each, giving Highfill an 11-run cushion heading into the bottom of the second.

Cozart added to the lead in the next inning, knocking his first home run of the game into the trees beyond the right-field wall. In the fifth, both teams would notch runs with Cozart driving Serrano home with a base hit in the top half while Collins plated Fernando Gonzalez with a single of his own, cutting it to a 13-1 advantage for NC State.

Nixon finessed his way around the base paths in the sixth inning for an additional run. The Wilmington, N.C. native hit a one-out single up the middle before swiping his 14^th base of the season. He then tagged and moved to third on a fly-out by Heavner before strolling home in the next at-bat on another Georgia error.

Pennington connected on his 17^th homer of the season in the top of the seventh to make it a 14-run lead. Makarewicz followed with a double, tagged and advanced to third on a fly-out to right field, then scored on a wild pitch for the Pack’s 16^th run. The final runs of the game came in the top of the ninth as Makarewicz and Cozart hit back-to-back solo shots for their 21^st and 18^th home runs of the season, respectively.

The Wolfpack battles the Bulldogs again Sunday. First pitch is slated for noon with NC State playing for the super regional’s berth into the Men’s College World Series.