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March 25, 2001
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia baseball team dropped a 10-3 decision to the N.C. State Wolfpack this afternoon in front of 288 spectators at the UVa Baseball Field. After Virginia opened up a 2-1 lead through four innings of play, N.C. State scored nine of the next 10 runs in the game to earn a seven-run victory.
The Wolfpack took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Adam Miller gathered the first of his two RBI’s on the day with a ground out to first base that scored teammate Jamey Shearin. The Cavaliers came right back and took their only lead of the game in the next inning when Chris Sweet (3-4, two RBI) hit a two-run double to left field that scored Mark Rueffert (1-3, RBI, run) and Robert Word (2-5, run) to make it a 2-1 UVa lead.
However, it was all NCSU from that point on, as key Wolfpack hitting, great pitching by Daniel Caldwell and several Virginia errors did the Cavaliers in.
After N.C. State knotted the score at 2-2 in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI-single by Colt Morton (3-4, four RBI, four runs), the Wolfpack took the lead for good by scoring three runs in the top of the sixth inning. Two UVa errors and RBI’s by Sam Esposito and Miller gave NCSU a 5-2 lead. Shearin’s run on Esposito’s RBI eventually became the game-winner.
Leading 5-2, N.C. State’s Morton hit his ninth home run of the season on a blast over the left field fence in the top of the seventh inning to make it a 6-2 ball game. Morton hit a home run in each of the three games in the ACC weekend series with Virginia. The Cavaliers countered the Wolfpack’s seventh inning run with a score of their own when Hunter Wyant (2-5, run) hit his sixth triple of the year before scoring in UVa’s next at-bat on a ground out by Rueffert.
But Wyant’s run would be the Cavaliers last, as NCSU sealed the game by scoring four more runs in the top of the eighth inning, keyed by a two-run, RBI double by Morton. The Wolfpack held the Cavaliers scoreless in their last at-bat to post a 10-3 victory.
N.C. State’s Caldwell was sensational, as the sophomore right-hander relieved starter Derek McKee (2.2 innings) and pitched 6.1 innings and allowed only one run on six hits to go along with a game-high six strikeouts. UVa’s Dan Street (2-2) was handed his second loss of the season after going 7.1 innings and allowing eight runs (four earned) on 12 hits with a team-high five strikeouts.
With the loss, Virginia’s record falls to 15-10 overall, 4-5 in the ACC. The win improves N.C. State’s record to 12-13 overall, 4-5 in the conference. NCSU’s victory broke a four-game losing streak to UVa.
The Cavaliers will return to home action on Tuesday, March 27th when Virginia hosts the Richmond Spiders at 3:00 p.m. at the UVa Baseball Field. The Wolfpack will return to home action on Wednesday, March 28th when NCSU hosts Campbell at 7:00 p.m.
– UVa –