With one swing of the bat and a hit that soared well past the left field wall, junior designated hitter Sherman Johnson delivered one of the most important moments of the season for NC State baseball.
“It was special,” Johnson said. “I didn’t even know it was a grand slam till I looked up at the scoreboard and saw grand slam on it, so it felt pretty cool… I was just happy I did it for the team honestly, got some more insurance runs that we needed.”
In a one run game with the series on the line, the Wolfpack needed a hero to step up. No matter how much the Pack tried, it couldn’t separate from Miami. The Hurricanes matched the red-and-white punch for punch; until Johnson delivered the knockout blow. With the bases loaded, Johnson mashed a grand slam to break the game open in the eighth.
“He keeps getting better and better, but he works hard,” Avent said. “If you work hard and believe in yourself, there are not many limits.”
NC State baseball held on in the ninth and secured a 12-7 victory over Miami to clinch the series. While the Kentucky Derby took place, the Pack and the Canes held their own horse race of a game going back and forth before the red-and-white pulled ahead for the win.
The Wolfpack (30-17, 12-12 ACC) entered the series hungry and desperate to add to its postseason resume. In a series packed within two days due to weather conditions, the Pack battled fatigue, pressure and chaos to defeat the Hurricanes (33-14, 13-11 ACC).
“I tell them all the time, my daddy taught me one time your parents can’t always be there for you,” Avent said. “You’re gonna get tested in life. When you get tested it’s how you handle that that’ll determine a lot of things. They got tested last night with a lot of things with resolve… they just keep fighting and sticking together, for a coach that’s all you want.”
NC State couldn’t have won the game without sophomore pitcher Anderson Nance. Throwing 113 pitches across 5.2 innings, Nance threw more pitches than he ever has at the collegiate level. As the Pack’s sole reliever for the evening, Nance stepped up to the occasion and delivered nine strikeouts and allowed just two runs.
“I’ve always been the long reliever guy,” Nance said. “I want to be in there, doing the best I can, putting the team in the best possibility to win, so like I”ve always wanted to be out there, competing and just doing my thing.”
From cutters to changeups and even the occasional slider, Nance dug deep into his bag to deliver the win. With fatigue almost certainly setting in and the weight of the entire series on his shoulders, Nance remained calm and navigated the ship. Even when Miami loaded the bases in the top of the ninth looking to rally, the Eden, North Carolina native stayed sharp and eliminated three straight batters, including a pair via strikeout.
“Anderson was phenomenal,” Avent said. “I’ve been here a long time, seen a lot of things that I thought were incredible and I saw one tonight. The ninth inning they loaded the bases and he threw his best stuff at the end.”
At the plate, the Wolfpack threw punch after punch, chipping away at Miami’s pitchers. While Johnson’s grand slam was the haymaker that knocked out the Hurricanes for good, the rest of the lineup did its part to keep NC State in the game. Junior second baseman Luke Nixon delivered a pair of home runs to keep the Wolfpack alive.
Nixon’s first home run proved to be especially pivotal. Following a brutal fourth inning for the Pack where Miami scored five runs to jump ahead 5-2, the red-and-white found itself in desperate need of something to go right. With a pair of runners on base, Nixon nuked one 366 feet over the right field wall to pull the Wolfpack even with the Hurricanes.
The rest of the lineup provided its own share of contributions. Freshman left fielder Rett Johnson extended his hit streak to 21 games during the first at bat of the game. Meanwhile junior first baseman Chris McHugh and sophomore center fielder Ty Head both hit doubles. Freshman shortstop Christian Serrano, who is filling in for injured sophomore shortstop Mikey Ryan, did his part with an RBI single up the middle in the seventh to give NC State an 8-7 lead.
The win is critical for NC State as it seeks to earn an NCAA Tournament bid for the fourth straight season. Getting back to .500 in ACC play and earning a hardfought series win will help the Wolfpack’s case. With the victory, the red-and-white continues to climb in the ever important RPI, now ranking 40th nationally. There’s still work to do if the Pack is going to get in, including a pair of ACC series against Stanford and No. 2 North Carolina, plus the ACC Tournament.
Next up, NC State is scheduled to host North Carolina A&T in the final midweek of the year. First pitch is set for Tuesday, May 5 at 6 p.m. and is the Wolfpack’s final tuneup before traveling west for a weekend series at Stanford.
