Wilmington’s Chance Shepard is home run hero for NC State

FORT WORTH, TX (WWAY) — NC State was down to their last out of the game in the 9th inning. Former Ashley High School slugger Chance Shepard guessed fastball. Shepard got a fastball and blasted a 2-run blast in the 9th inning to put NC State up 5-4 against TCU. NC State held onto win 5-4 thanks to the clutch performance from the Wilmington slugger.

TCU will face Stony Brook on Sunday afternoon. NC State will play the winner of that game Sunday night. If NC State wins, they advance.  If not, the same two teams will tee it up again in primetime on Monday night.

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FORT WORTH, TX (NCSU) — NC State baseball dug deep for a 5-4 comeback victory over fourth-ranked TCU on Saturday night at Lupton Stadium in Fort Worth.

The Wolfpack (36-21) carried a 4-3 deficit two outs into the ninth inning, when Ryne Willard walked to keep hope alive. Chance Shepard stepped to the plate next and delivered a two-run blast to straightaway center, his sixth of the year, to put State ahead for good. Travis Orwig (2-0) battled through the Horned Frogs’ (44-12) furious comeback attempt in the bottom half to score the win.

NC State batters mustered just five hits on the evening, with none contributing more than one, and each monumental. Willard provided a two-RBI double to put the Pack ahead 2-1 in the fourth. Andrew Knizner and Bubby Riley each singled once and scored a run. Joe Dunand scored once. Tommy DeJuneas scored as a pinch-runner on Shepard’s roundtripper. Shane Shepard added a pinch-hit single in his only plate appearance.

Freshman Brian Brown pitched masterfully in his NCAA Tournament debut, working 6 1/3 with four earned on five hits, striking out eight and walking none. Brown has fanned 25 in his last 17 2/3 innings dating back to his start against Louisville on May 15. Joe O’Donnell faced two batters in the seventh before handing the ball to Orwig, who finished the game with 2 2/3 of one-hit ball shutout ball, punching out a pair with no walks.