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Baseball Splits Sunday's ACC Doubleheader
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March 22, 1998
RALEIGH, N.C. — Virginia scored eight runs in the top of the third inning at Doak Field this afternoon, and then hung on to defeat NC State 9-7 and gain a split of an Atlantic Coast Conference baseball doubleheader. The Wolfpack won the first game 6-5.
The loss in the second game snapped a season-long seven-game winning for NC State, which fell to 18-5 overall and 5-2 in the ACC. Virginia, which improved to 14-8 overall, picked up its first ACC win and stands at 1-7 in the conference.
The Wolfpack jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings of the first game. Jake Weber hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first, and Todd DeMakes later walked with the bases loaded to make it 3-0. Noel Manley singled home a run in the the second.
Virginia got a run back in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Brian Sherlock, and made it 4-3 on E.J. Anderson’s two-run home run in the top of the sixth. The Pack came back with a run in the bottom of the sixth without the benefit of a hit, scoring on a walk, a sacrifice bunt, a fly ball and a wild pitch.
Anderson drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the seventh, but Craig Lee drove in a run in the bottom of the eighth on a force play to make it 6-4. Virginia nearly tied the game in the top of the ninth, but had the tying run tagged out at the plate to end the game. With runners on first and second and two out, Hunter Wynant drove a double to the wall in center field. Ryan Gilleland scored from second, but Julian Gonzalez was out at the plate on a perfect relay throw from shortstop Josh Ballard.
Bubba Scarce (4-1) worked 6 2/3 innings to pick up the win. He allowed four runs on seven hits and four walks, while striking out one. Javier Lopez (3-1) took the loss for Virginia. He gave up five runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
The Cavaliers jumped all over Dustin Baker and Rodney Ormond in the top of the third inning of the second game, scoring eight runs in the inning on a home run, five doubles, a single, two stolen bases and three walks.
The Wolfpack bounced back with five in the bottom of the fourth, the big blow being a two-run single by Todd DeMakes. Ted Kinsman singled home a run for Virginia in the top of the fifth to make it 9-5, and Brad Piercy’s two-run home run with two out in the bottom of the seventh was the Pack’s last hurrah, cutting the deficit to 9-7.
Baker (3-2) took the loss after surrendering six runs on five hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings. He struck out four. Bradley Nuckols (2-1) worked 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for Virginia to get the win. He walked two and fanned one.