LuJames Groover III crushed a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to complete NC State's 6-5 comeback victory over North Carolina A&T Tuesday afternoon at Doak Field.

With the game tied at 5-5 entering the bottom of the ninth, Groover III faced a quick 0-2 hole in his at-bat against Aggies' reliever Connor Blantz. He then worked the count back to 2-2 before driving a solo home run to left field for the walk-off winner, marking NC State's fifth walk-off victory of the 2023 season.
 
NC State (29-14) faced a bases-loaded situation with nobody out in the top of the ninth after North Carolina A&T (17-24) led off the final inning with two singles and a walk. Dominic Fritton then entered the game and struck out three straight batters to strand three Aggies on base. Fritton struck out the final batter of the top of the ninth on three pitches, blowing three straight fastballs past TJ Ash to exit the frame unscathed.
 
For the ninth time this season, the Pack rallied to win after going behind first. The Aggies jumped ahead 3-0 in the first behind a pair of RBI doubles. The Pack trimmed its deficit to 3-1 with its first at-bat of the game when Noah Soles lifted a 2-2 pitch into the NC State bullpen in right field for a solo home run.
 
Trevor Candelaria made it a 3-2 game in the bottom of the second with his first home run of the afternoon. The Aggies then re-established their three-run lead at 5-2 when Cameran Brantley smacked a two-run homer to right field in the fifth inning.
 
Candelaria recorded his second homer of the day for his second multi-home run game of the season when he drilled a two-run shot to left field. Groover III then tied the score at 5-5 with an RBI double down the left-field line, scoring Kalae Harrison from third base in the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
The Wolfpack bullpen shined in the comeback victory, allowing just two runs and five hits with 13 strikeouts over eight innings of relief. Rio Britton struck out four Aggies without allowing a walk in 2.1 scoreless innings, while Carson Kelly kept the Pack within striking distance over 3.2 innings on a career-high 72 pitches.
 
Four Wolfpack batters recorded multiple hits in the victory – Candelaria (three), Soles (two), Groover III (two) and Eli Serrano III (two).
 
On the mound, Wolfpack pitchers tied a season-high with 15 strikeouts. NC State is now 25-2 on the season when allowing five runs or fewer to its opponent.
 
UP NEXT
NC State travels to South Bend, Indiana, for a three-game ACC series at Notre Dame. The Wolfpack opens its series against the Fighting Irish on Thursday night on ACC Network. First pitch in South Bend is set for 7 p.m.