Pirates top N.C. State in thriller

By Al Myatt
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GREENVILLE — After N.C. State took a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth inning on a two-run homer by Chance Shepard, East Carolina came back to score twice in the bottom of the frame for a 6-5 nonconference victory at Clark-LeClair Stadium on Tuesday night.

Reid Love led off the bottom of the ninth with a triple to right center and Eric Tyler drew a walk. A towering fly ball to left by Luke Lowery was misplayed, allowing Love to score the tying run. Lowery was credited with a sacrifice fly on the play that put runners at first and second.

Kirk Morgan singled down the right field line on a 1-1 pitch to score Tyler with the winning run.

The outcome evened the season series after the Wolfpack (21-17) had taken a 7-0 win in Raleigh on March 3.

The Pirates (25-16) face another ACC program when Duke (22-17) visits for a 6:30 p.m. start tonight. ECU leads the series with the Blue Devils, 33-13, although the teams haven't met since 2007. The Pirates were victorious the last 12 times the programs clashed.

"We're playing well, so hopefully this is more momentum going into tomorrow," said first-year Pirates coach Cliff Godwin after a crowd of 3,821 turned out for the ECU win.

Charlie Yorgen bunted for a hit in the bottom of the third against the Wolfpack and stole second. He came home for a 1-0 lead on a double by Love.

State tied the score at 1 in the fifth on an RBI double by Joe Dunand. The Pirates answered in the bottom of the fifth as Lowery walked with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch. A single from Morgan put Lowery at third and he scored on a wild pitch for a 2-1 Pirates lead.

Preston Palmeiro, son of former major league slugger Rafael Palmeiro, had a leadoff homer in the top of the sixth to tie the score at 2.

Garrett Brooks drew a walk to start the bottom of the sixth. Hunter Allen reached on one of three errors by the visitors to put runners at first and second. Yorgen's sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third. Tyler reached on an infield hit that allowed Brooks to score but Allen was out on a play at the plate to end the inning with ECU on top, 3-2.

Lowery was hit by a pitch to open the Pirates' half of the seventh. He stole second and took third on a sacrifice bunt by Morgan. A sacrifice bunt by Watkins brought in Lowery for a 4-2 ECU lead.

Logan Ratledge doubled to start the eighth for State and he scored on a single up the middle by Palmeiro, trimming the Pirates' lead to 4-3

Shane Shepard singled in the ninth before his older brother homered to put State ahead for the first time in the game.

Evan Voliva (2-0) got the last two outs in the top of the ninth to pick up the win.

Left-hander Jacob Wolfe started against the Wolfpack and went six innings. He yielded eight hits and two earned runs while walking one and striking out six.

Love and Morgan each had two hits for the Pirates, who were outhit 13-8 but played errorless defense. State pitchers issued five walks and hit two batters.

Wolfe, Jimmy Boyd, Joe Ingle, Nick Durazo and Voliva combined to allow just two walks and did not hit a batter.

ECU stranded 12 baserunners while NCSU left seven aboard.

PAGE UPDATED 04/23/15 12:42 AM.

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