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No. 11 Baseball Drops Series Finale to NC State, 7-6
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. NC State’s Pratt Maynard hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning as the Wolfpack came back for a 7-6 victory over the No. 11 Virginia baseball team Sunday afternoon at Davenport Field. Despite the loss, Virginia won the series after taking the first two games.
The game was a see-saw affair, with three ties and a pair of lead changes. The Cavaliers had plenty of chances, racking up 14 hits, but they left 13 runners on base, including nine in scoring position. The one-run defeat is Virginia’s sixth in ACC play this year. All of the Cavaliers’ ACC defeats have come by three runs or fewer.
Dan Grovatt (So., Tabernacle, N.J.) went 3-for-5 to lead the Cavaliers’ offense. Jarrett Parker (So, Stafford, Va.) had two hits and scored a run his 61st of the season to set the Virginia single-season runs record. Mark Reynolds (2004) and David Guy (1988) shared the previous record of 60.
Kevin Arico (So., Flemington, N.J.) took the loss for Virginia out of the bullpen. Arico (1-2) came on in the eighth inning with a runner at first and a 2-0 count to Maynard before giving up the two-run home run. Sam Brown (2-0) earned the win for NC State with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief, while Alex Sogard got the final three outs for his first save.
UVa’s Robert Morey (So., Virginia Beach, Va.) made his third straight Sunday start and pitched 5.2 innings, giving up three earned runs, four hits and four walks while striking out seven. NC State starter Joey Cutler tossed three innings and gave up one unearned run, three hits and two walks while striking out three.
NC State (20-24, 8-16 ACC) took advantage of two first-inning Morey walks to grab an early lead. With two out, Maynard ripped a single to center field to score Devon Cartwright.
Virginia (34-9-1, 13-8-1) knotted the score in the bottom of the first, getting two-out singles from Danny Hultzen (Fr., Bethesda, Md.) and Grovatt before third baseman Drew Martin threw away a grounder from Steven Proscia (Fr., Suffern, N.Y.) to allow Hultzen to score.
NC State regained the lead in the third inning when Cartwright hit a line drive into the second row of bleachers in left field. The Cavaliers then loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the third, but Drew Poulk made a fully-extended, diving catch of a John Hicks (Fr., Sandy Hook, Va.) sinking flare in right-center to save at least two runs.
In the fifth inning, Virginia cashed in on a scoring opportunity after stranding seven runners on base, including five in scoring position through the first four innings. With one out, Grovatt singled and Proscia doubled to move Grovatt to third. Hicks followed with a two-run single to center to score both runners and give UVa a 3-2 lead.
The Wolfpack then scored a run in the sixth inning to tie the game. With two out, Pat Ferguson laid down a bunt single He advanced when Maynard walked and scored on a double by Andrew Ciencin.
The Cavaliers regained the lead in their half of the sixth. Coleman led off with a single, moved to second on a passed ball and scored when Parker bounced a tripled down the right-field line. Reliever Jake Buchanan nearly escaped further damage by getting two outs with the infield in, but then walked Grovatt before Proscia hit a grounder which bounced high over Martin’s head at third base and rolled down the left-field line. Parker scored on the play to give UVa a 5-3 lead.
NC State created the third tie of the game with a pair of runs off Wilson in the seventh inning. Chris Schaeffer led off with a double to left and scored when Martin singled up the middle. Kyle Wilson then singled to move Martin to third, and Cartwright grounded into a fielder’s choice to plate Martin and tie the game.
In the seventh, Cannon singled before the edge of a strong thunderstorm skirted the stadium, causing a one-hour, 48-minute delay. While very little rain fell at the stadium, there was plenty of lightning to force the delay.
Afterwards, Franco Valdes (Jr., Miami, Fla.) put down a sacrifice bunt and pinch hitter John Barr (So., Ivyland, Pa.) was intentionally walked. Parker then ripped a single to right to score Cannon, and Barr was gunned down at third on a perfect throw from Drew Poulk.
NC State took the lead for good in the eighth inning. Ferguson led off with a single against UVa reliever Sean Lucas (R-Fr., Fishkill, N.Y.). Lucas was replaced by Arico after going to a 2-0 count before Maynard homered to left field against Arico.
UVa put runners on in the eighth and ninth inning but could not get the runners home.
Virginia is back at Davenport Field at 7 p.m. Tuesday when it plays host to Liberty. The game is UVa’s final contest before a nine-day break for final exams.