CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Tie game, top of the ninth and five runs given up in the last two innings in a must-win game at its rival’s stadium — a rival that also happened to be ranked in the top 5 nationally. It was a nightmare scenario for No. 16 NC State baseball, which had led No. 4 UNC-Chapel Hill 4-0 just 30 minutes prior.
It all could’ve been avoided. Leading 5-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs, junior left fielder Josh Hogue had an opportunity to seal a hitless inning with a routine fly ball. But Hogue lost the ball in the lights as it fell to the ground for a double. UNC (37-11, 16-10 ACC) immediately capitalized with back-to-back RBI singles, tying the game and demoralizing NC State (32-16, 16-9 ACC).
It would’ve been easy to throw in the towel, but instead of shying away from the spotlight, the Wolfpack rose to the occasion.
It all began with sophomore first baseman Chris McHugh, who got hit in the hand with the first pitch of the inning — the same injury he sustained in last week’s series against Miami.
Grabbing his hand in pain, many fans thought McHugh would be replaced by a pinch runner and head to the dugout. But McHugh didn’t back down, staying on first — a telltale sign of the inning to come.
While Hogue battled in the batter’s box, McHugh advanced to second on a passed ball. With a runner in scoring position, Hogue atoned for his earlier mistake with a go-ahead RBI single, much to the chagrin of Tar Heel fans.
“That’s who he is, he’s a competitor,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “He felt bad [about missing the catch] but that ball was tough. Big hit for him.”
But the Wolfpack wasn’t satisfied with a one-run lead. Two more singles from senior shortstop Justin DeCriscio and sophomore catcher Alex Sosa loaded the bases, and a deep sacrifice fly from junior right fielder Brayden Fraasman tallied another run. Sophomore designated hitter Matt Ossenfort added one final RBI single, ending a momentous inning for the Wolfpack.
Junior reliever Andrew Shaffner struck out the first batter in the bottom of the ninth, and the Wolfpack completed a 6-4-3 double play to punctuate a statement 8-5 win.
But it wasn’t just the explosive ninth inning that carried the Pack to the win. It fully embraced the resilient attitude that NC State has become known for.
“This says a lot about them, what they did tonight,” Avent said. “They’ve done stuff like this all year. I go ‘Wow, this team’s grown so much.’”
The first half of the game did not see the same drama. It was all Wolfpack through six as NC State held North Carolina scoreless while putting up four runs. But when junior pitcher Dominic Fritton faced the Heels’ lineup for the third time, the defense began to fall apart.
Fritton left one over the plate and Heels second baseman Jackson Van De Brake took advantage, sending a two-RBI homer over the left field fence, completely shifting the momentum in the Heels’ favor.
But the story of the game wasn’t written by one pitch. Fritton dominated the Tar Heels, putting the Pack offense in position to win the game, giving up just two runs and seven hits in 6.1 innings pitched.
“Fritton was the best I’ve ever seen today,” said Avent.
Taking the mound after Fritton, freshman reliever Anderson Nance didn’t have his best stuff. He’s been clutch all season with a 2.68 ERA and seven wins, but couldn’t stop the stampeding Tar Heels. The first batter he faced popped a solo shot, cutting the Wolfpack lead to just one. Coming back out for the eighth, he gave up two more but prevented a Heels overtake and earned the win in the eyes of the official scorer, moving to 8-1.
The win sets up a series-deciding Game 3. The Pack will have the day off tomorrow as UNC holds its graduation ceremony on Saturday, and plays the rubber match on Sunday at 1 p.m.
