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Wolfpack Snatches First Game in Crucial Road Series

No. 10 NC State outlasted No. 11 Florida State in the first game of a three-game set in Tallahassee.
Tucker Sennett|
Right-handed pitcher Anderson Nance throws a pitch in No. 10 NC State's 6-4 victory over No. 11 Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla., on March 20, 2026.
Right-handed pitcher Anderson Nance throws a pitch in No. 10 NC State's 6-4 victory over No. 11 Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla., on March 20, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

No. 10 NC State hit the road for the first true road series of the season on Friday, heading to Tallahassee for a crucial, ranked three-game series against No. 11 Florida State. The Wolfpack opened the series with a gritty 6-4 win over the Seminoles, finding enough offense to overcome the strong pitching performance from FSU.

The Pack rode strong pitching performances from Ryan Marohn and Anderson Nance, while also coming up with timely hits to steal a tight win over the Seminoles. The win gave NC State its third in a row and third victory in conference play, as it tries to prove itself against one of the top programs in the ACC.

Wolfpack lineup and stats

  1. LF Rett Johnson: 2-4, 2 RBI, R
  2. SS Mikey Ryan: 0-4, 4 K, BB
  3. 1B Chris McHugh: 1-5, 2 K
  4. RF Brayden Fraasman: 0-4, 2 R, BB, K
  5. 3B Sherman Johnson: 1-5
  6. 2B Luke Nixon: 2-5, R, 2 K
  7. DH Dalton Bargo: 2-4, R, RBI, K
  8. CF Ty Head: 1-3, R, 2 RBI
  9. C Drew Lanphere: 1-4, K

RHP Ryan Marohn: 6 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 10 K, W (4-0)
RHP Anderson Nance: 3 IP, H, 2 B, 5 K, S (1)

Key observations from the win

While he gave up four runs and saw his ERA shoot up because of it, Marohn was still crucial in securing a win for NC State. The talented righty punched out 10 Florida State batters during his six innings of work. He worked through traffic several times, never allowing the Seminoles to gain any sort of separation over his team. By the time Nance came in, the FSU bats seemed rattled.

Nance picked up right where Marohn left off, striking out five Seminoles in his three innings. After some struggles in his past few outings, Nance returned to the form expected by coach Elliott Avent and dominated the competition. He worked his way into a jam with two runners on in the eighth, but responded immediately with a pair of clutch strikeouts.

Rett Johnson came up with a pair of doubles to continue his torrid run in the Wolfpack's leadoff spot. The first double helped NC State take back the lead after Marohn gave up a three-run homer, while the second set up Johnson with a chance to score on a passed ball to hand NC State the two-run cushion rather than just one.

The Wolfpack will go for the series win on Saturday, with junior righty Jacob Dudan on the mound. NC State already survived some of the best Seminole arms on Friday, so the offense should be able to settle in even more in the second game of the series.

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Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.

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