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#6 Seed Virginia Falls to #3 Seed N.C. State, 10-6
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May 22, 2003
SALEM, Va. – The #6 seeded University of Virginia baseball team dropped a 10-6 decision to the #3 seeded N.C. State Wolfpack in the first round of the 2003 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament at the Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium. N.C. State took an early 3-0 lead kept a step ahead of the Cavaliers in the scoring column all evening long while holding off several UVa charges en route to posting a four-run victory.
N.C. State got on the scoreboard first pulled out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning when Jeremy Dutton connected on a three-run home run to right field. Dutton’s home run, his 11th of the season, drove in teammates Chad Orvella (double) and Matt Camp (single) to give the Wolfpack a three-run advantage.
Virginia scored its first run of the game in the top of the fourth inning and made it a 3-1 contest when Matt Dunn walked with the bases loaded. Dunn’s walk allowed Eric Christensen to score a run from third base after Christensen reached base on a walk himself four batters earlier.
However, N.C. State bounced back in the bottom half of the fourth inning and tacked on four runs to pull out to a 7-1 lead. The Wolfpack’s Marc Maynor posted a RBI-single to drive in Colt Morton to make it a 4-1 contest before three runs scored on a RBI-single by Adam Hargrave to drive in David Hicks. Orvella and Maynor also scored a run on the play following a Cavalier fielding error in left field by UVa’s Dunn to give NCSU a six-run lead.
But the Cavaliers answered right back with three runs of their own in the top of the fifth inning to get right back into the game at 7-4. UVa’s Joe Koshansky singled and scored a run four batters later on a RBI-single to center field by Scott Headd. In Virginia’s next at-bat, Kyle Werman executed a RBI-single on a bunt to drive in Christensen (who reached base on an error) before he advanced all the way around to third base with Headd also scoring a run on the play after a NCSU throwing error.
The Wolfpack manufactured a run in the bottom of the fifth inning and made the score 8-4 when Justin Riley doubled off of the left field wall before he came around to score a run four batters later on a RBI-double to left field by Orvella.
Trailing by four runs in the top of the seventh inning, Virginia cut N.C. State’s 8-4 lead to 8-6 when the Cavaliers scored a pair of runs with two outs on the board. UVa’s Werman reached base after being hit by a pitch with two outs before he scored a run two batters later on a RBI-single by Dunn to make it an 8-5 contest. In Virginia’s next at-bat, the Cavaliers’ Zimmerman connected on his fourth hit of the game with a RBI-single to drive in Matt Street after he singled two batters earlier.
However, NCSU added a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to open up a 9-6 lead when Riley lead off the inning with a double before he scored a run in the Wolfpack’s next at-bat on a RBI-single by Morton. N.C. State plated another insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning to regain a four-run lead at 10-6 when Camp drove a RBI-double into the corner of left field to score Orvella from first base.
UVa starting pitcher Joe Koshansky (7-2) went 5.0 innings and allowed eight runs (six earned) on eight hits to go along with six strikeouts while picking up the loss. Koshansky’s runs totals (earned and unearned) were the most he allowed this season.
N.C. State starting pitcher Michael Rogers (11-3) lasted 7.0 innings and surrendered four runs (three earned) on 13 hits to go along with five strikeouts in the victory.
With the loss, Virginia’s record falls to 28-24 overall, 0-1 in the ACC Tournament. The win improves N.C. State’s record to 40-14 overall, 1-0 in the ACC Tournament.
The Cavaliers will return to action on Friday, May 23rd when #6 seed Virginia faces #7 seed Wake Forest. WFU dropped a 9-8 decision to #2 Georgia Tech in the Demon Deacons’ first game of the tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 PM at the Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium.
— UVa —