Wolfpack Walks, Runs Past Longwood
The NC State baseball team beat Longwood 6-1 on Tuesday to improve to 4-0 on the new season.
But coach Elliott Avent wasn't exactly in a celebrating mood afterward.
Specfically, he wasn't happy with his team's offense, which took its foot off the accelerator after piling up six runs and all six hits in the first four innings.
Despite going down quietly over its final four at bats, State did manage nine walks, two hit batsmen and five stolen bases -- four by Terrell Tatum. That turned out to be more than enough support for starter David Harrison and the three relievers that followed him to the mound.
"It's always good to win. Winning's good, losing's bad," Avent said. "It was another game where I thought we played good defense. I thought we ran the bases fairly well. But offensively, I didn't think we were very good today."
It didn't have to be, thanks to Harrison.
The junior left-hander, who started only three games last season, picked up where the pitching staff left off in last weekend's sweep of James Madison by working a career-high six innings. He struck out seven and walked none while allowing only five hits and a sigle run.
He was efficient, throwing only 80 pitches, and accurate, throwing 57 of them for strikes in earning his first win since May 9, 2018.
"I just located my fastball, located all my pitches," Harrison said. "Knowing their weak spots, knowing my strong spots and having a good team to back me up" is what was working today.
On those occasions when Harrison did put men on base, his defense -- especially catcher Patrick Bailey -- had his back. Bailey picked two runners off base, helping to keep the Lancers off the scoreboard until the top of the sixth.
Bailey's defensive worked helped offset another tough day at the plate. The preseason All-American struck out twice and went hitless in four trips. Although his average through six games is just .067, Avent isn't worried.
"We're four games in, he missed the entire fall, he's a great hitter and he gets pitched different," the Wolfpack coach said. "He's Patrick Bailey. People know that. It's the headline of the scouting report, don't let him beat you. Patrick Bailey is one of the best hitters in college baseball, so he'll be fine."
The good news is that while Bailey is scuffling, others are stepping forward to carry the load.
Junior Devonte Brown, who played third base on Tuesday, continued his hot start by hitting a home run leading off the third inning. He also drove in a run with a bases loaded walk and is now batting .450 for the season with nine RBI and six runs scored.
Sophomore center fielder Tyler McDonough and DH Lawson McArthur had two hits and an RBI each, right fielder Jonny Butler drove in his eighth run of the season with a sacrifice fly and Tatum had a single an an RBI, two walks and those three stolen bases.
"I would say my speed is one of the most beneficial sides of my game, because I think I can use it against anybody in the country," Tatum said. "I like to steal base and if you have a time that I think I can take a base the you, I'm willing to risk taking that base."
State returns to the field again on Friday to start a three-game home series against Tennessee Tech.