RUSTON, La. (AP) — Jose Torres went 2 for 3 with three RBIs, Tyler McDonough and Devonte Brown each added two RBIs and North Carolina State beat Alabama 8-1 on Friday in the Ruston Regional.

All eight runs for N.C. State (31-17) came by way of the home run. Luca Tresh, Brown, McDonough and Torres combined for five homers.

Reid Johnston (8-2) tossed eight innings, allowing just one run on four hits with seven strikeouts. Chris Villaman added two strikeouts in the ninth.

Tresh and Brown hit back-to-back homers in the second for a 2-0 lead. McDonough hit his team-leading 15th of the year in the third and Brown added his 11th in the eighth.

Alabama (31-25) starter Tyler Ras allowed seven run in 4 1/3 innings. Jackson Tate hit a solo shot in the fifth for Alabama’s only run.

 

East Carolina tops Norfolk St. 8-5 at Greenville Regional

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Thomas Francisco hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to help East Carolina beat Norfolk State 8-5 on Friday at the double-elimination Greenville Regional.

East Carolina (42-15) had just five hits but drew seven walks — and three more Pirates were hit by a pitch — and scored four unearned runs off four Norfolk State errors.

Seth Caddell and Connor Norby walked before Francisco, on a full count, hit a two-out homer to make it 6-4 in the bottom of the sixth. Zach Agnos followed with a triple and then scored on a wild pitch.
The Spartans (25-27), who made the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance, had their six-game win streak snapped. Norfolk State beat North Carolina Central 7-6 in 11 innings to win its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title on May 22 to earn an automatic tournament berth.

Freshman A.J. Wilson (1-0) came on in the top of the sixth with one out and runners on the corners. He struck out Jason Council and then balked — scoring Norfolk State’s Ty Hanchey from third base and moving Mason Velasquez from second to third — before he got Khie Simms swinging to end the inning and earn his first win.

Hanchey went 2 for 3 with a double, an RBI and two runs for Norfolk State. Velasquez added two hits, two stolen bases and scored from third when Council was caught in a rundown after attempting to steal second.

 

Charlotte collects 14 hits in 13-10 win over Maryland

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — David McCabe hit a pair of home runs and scored three times and Jack Dragum went 4-for-4 with a homer to help Charlotte to a 13-10 win over Maryland on Friday in the Greenville Regional.

The 49ers broke a 3-all tie in the bottom of the fourth as the entire order got an at-bat in collecting six hits. McCabe homered in the sixth, and in the seventh, his solo shot to right field provided a four-run cushion following the Terrapins’ three-run seventh which reduced their deficit to 12-9.

Will Butcher went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and scored twice for Charlotte. Maxwell Costes and Tommy Gardner each drove in three for Maryland.

Austin Marozas moved his record to 5-3 for and Jason Savacool (7-3) took the loss.

Charlotte (40-19) is back in the post season for the first time since 2011, while Maryland (28-17), is making its first appearance since 2017. Maryland entered having won 22 of 29.

 

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