N.C. State Downs No. 3 Virginia Baseball, 8-6
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May 13, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE – North Carolina State scored two runs in the eighth inning on a Ryan Pond single to break a 6-all deadlock en route to an 8-6 win and 2-1 series triumph over the No. 3 Virginia baseball team Sunday at Davenport Field. The game drew 2,538 fans, bringing the weekend total to 7,599 and setting a three-game series school record. The previous high was 7,367, set in 2006 during the North Carolina series.
Jake Rule (Waynesboro, Va.) took the loss for Virginia after struggling with his control in the eighth inning. He walked four batters in 1 2/3 innings and also surrendered a hit and two runs in falling to 4-4 this season. Cavalier pitchers were uncharacteristically wild, walking a season-high 10 batters.
Andrew Taylor (3-2) threw 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win for N.C. State. Eryk McConnell tossed the final two innings to earn his 10th save.
Sean Doolittle (Tabernacle, N.J) hit a three-run home run for Virginia, while Brandon Guyer (Herndon, Va.) added a two-run double.
Virginia (39-12, 17-9 ACC) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Guyer’s double, but N.C. State (33-18, 14-13) put up a five-spot in the fourth inning against Doolittle after he had tossed three scoreless innings. Jeremy Synan hit a single off the glove of shortstop Tyler Cannon (Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) and Doolittle then uncorked a wild pitch to tie the game. Tommy Foschi followed with a three-run homer to left field to give N.C. State a 5-2 lead. Doolittle went 3 1/3 innings, giving up five earned runs, eight hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
Virginia scored four in the fifth inning to grab the lead. Doolittle hit a three-run homer to knot the score, and Beau Seabury (Mount Vernon, Wash.) hit a sacrifice fly later in the inning to give the Cavaliers the lead.
The Wolfpack responded with the tying run in the seventh inning when Joe Florio grounded into a double play with the bases loaded. N.C. State then took the lead in the eighth inning, as Rule walked the bases loaded and Pond hit a two-run single to left field to give the Pack an 8-6 advantage.
Virginia is back in action at 7 p.m. Tuesday for the 2007 home finale against No. 15 Coastal Carolina.