Marohn's strong debut clinches series vs VCU, history win for Avent (2024)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- No. 13 NC State baseball clinched its opening series against VCU Sunday, besting the Rams 5-3 at Doak Field.

Ryan Marohn set the tone on the mound, tossing five scoreless innings and notching eight strikeouts in his first collegiate start. His steady start combined with clutch bullpen production to earn the Pack the series victory and Elliott Avent his 1,000th win at NC State.

"This win is special but not for what some people may think or what it implicates with 1,000 wins," Avent said. "It's who made the 1,000 wins. The players that made those 1,000 wins. I can't wait to go -- I hope that I can get a video of that thing they put out. I hope I can see that. I didn't get to see but the very end made me tear up. Watching the whole thing, I know what that's going to do."

Marohn wasted on time absolutely dominating the VCU lineup. The freshman pounded the zone to the tune of 55 strikes out of his 89 pitches, attackingthe Ramswith confidence. He showcased some great swing and miss stuff but did not toy around with it, staying decisive in his approach to keep batters on the back foot.

The freshman topped out at nine consecutive outs spanning from the second to the fifth before running into any real trouble. Even when a single and pair of walks loaded the bases, Marohn honed in and notched three strikeouts in that frame to keep the Rams scoreless.

Out of the jam! Make it EIGHT Ks for @RyanMarohn21 ? pic.twitter.com/unIUe4y7Dl
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— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) February 18, 2024

"I trust the guys behind me," Marohn said. "Bases loaded, two outs, trying to throw strikes. We got the guy to an 0-2 count. The call with a slider down. I was trying to execute there and got the job done which was really good."

The Pack9 batsbounced backfrom yesterday's disappointing loss, keeping its foot on the gas all day. Josh Hogue got the ball rolling in the second with an RBI groundout, then doubled his RBI total in the third when State scored two more. The Wolfpack executed a two-out rally in that third inning as Hogue and Luke Nixon drove back-to-back RBI singles by Hogue and Luke Nixon extended the lead to 3-0.

A couple others batters impressed in the season finale. Though Matt Heavner showed outwith his bat at second base in the Pack's first two games, Nixon also impressed in his preset Sunday start. The freshman fielding very smoothly at second baseman in addition to his line of 1 for 2 with an RBI and a walk at the plate. Drew Lanphere also produced fairly well as the designated hitter, slapping an RBI single of his own. He finished 2 for 4 with an RBI and a walk. Not to be left out, Garrett Pennington quietly notched three singles in his five at-bats.

Though a handful of bats played well in the opening series, NC State's offense still has a long way to go. The Pack left 14 runners on base today as well as Friday, tacking on six more Saturday for a weekend total of 34 stranded baserunners. In a series defined taking advantage of the opportunities you get, hitting 12 for 52 with runners base simply isn't good enough for the Pack.

"We've got to learn how to play to win," Avent said. "There's so much social media, which is a great thing. But it's also a bugaboo because they hear about how great they are. What they can be if this happens and this goes right. I think they worry about their own outcomes, their own stats. You got to keep your mind wrapped around the entire game. For one instance, you can't think about yourself because it's too hard to win with a schedule we play and the league we're in. You can never let your mind wander away from 'we got to win right now.' Right now we got to figure that out."