Box Score BECKLEY, W.Va. – Shepherd University (36-13) used a 14-hit attack en route to an 11-5 win over West Virginia State (31-14) in third day action of the MEC Baseball Tournament at Linda K. Epling Stadium in Beckley on Saturday.
 
Shepherd took a 2-0 lead in the first inning as senior shortstop Tre Porter (Stephens City, Va./Sherando/Potomac State) belted a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left field.
 
West Virginia State cut the lead to 3-1 in the second as Jacob Frantz hit a two-out double and scored on a single by Justin Graham.
 
Porter added a solo blast and sophomore designated hitter Daniel Heleine (Hedgesville, W.Va./Hedgesville/WVU) added a two-run homer in the third to increase the lead to 5-1.
 
Philip Mandt hit a solo homer for the Yellow Jackets in the fourth to cut the lead to 5-2.
 
Porter was ejected in the fifth after disputing a third strike call.
 
The Yellow Jackets added a pair of runs in sixth to cut the lead to 5-4. Mandt walked and later scored on a triple by Brandon Wright. Wright scored on a single off the bat of Frantz.
 
The Rams added four runs in the seventh to extend the lead to 9-4. Junior outfielder Ron Farley (Cockeysville, Md./Calvert Hall/Delaware State), junior second baseman Brandon Kirk (Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West/Mercer CC), and  freshman catcher Christian Hamel (Pasadena, Md./IMG Academy) each drove in a run. Farley also scored on a wild pitch on a close play at the plate.
 
Shepherd completed its scoring with a pair of runs in the ninth. Junior outfielder Jacob Carney (Stephens City, Va./Sherando) and senior shortstop Zane Bard (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg/Mount St. Mary's) each had RBI-singles.
 
State added a run in the bottom of the frame on an RBI-single from Joshua Kiser.
 
Carney went 3-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Porter added a 2-for-3 effort  and drove in  a game-high three runs to pace the Rams.
 
Jamison Jones went 4-for-5 with a run scored to lead the Jackets.
 
Senior pitcher Sam Crater (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York/Frederick CC) (9.0 IP, 12 H, 5 ER, 6 Ks, 3 BB) (9-0) picked up the complete game win. Tyler Hall (6.1 IP, 11 H, 8 ER, 4 Ks, 1 BB) (7-2) took the loss for the Yellow Jackets.
 
The Ram advance to the championship round on Sunday when they face a yet to be determined opponent at 1 p.m.