Noah Soles drove in five runs with two doubles during N.C. State’s explosive 11-run second inning, leading the Wolfpack to an 18-1 victory over Georgia in Game 1 of the Athens Super Regional on Saturday.
Luke Nixon and Matt Heavner set the stage in the top of the second with back-to-back bunt singles, the former scoring Brandon Butterworth to kick off the scoring and the latter loading the bases. Soles then smashed a three-RBI double down the right-field line, followed by Eli Serrano III hitting a home run on the next pitch. Butterworth contributed an RBI single before Nixon and Soles each hit two-RBI doubles, propelling No. 10 seed N.C. State (37-20) to an 11-0 advantage.
Sam Highfill (7-2) allowed one run on four hits and three walks over six innings to secure the win for the Wolfpack, while Andrew Shaffner pitched three hitless, scoreless innings of relief for his first save of the season.
N.C. State can advance to the College World Series with a win in Game 2 on Sunday. The Wolfpack have appeared in the CWS three times, most recently in 2021.
Corey Collins singled to right in the bottom of the fifth for seventh-seeded Georgia (42-16), making it 13-1.
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