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Baseball
No. 7 NC State Halts Virginia Win Streak; Evens Series
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 7 NC State (13-1, 1-1 ACC) scored the game’s final four runs in a 6-2 victory in the middle game of a three-game series against Virginia (11-4, 1-1 ACC) on Saturday afternoon (March 7) at Disharoon Park. The two teams will square off on Sunday in the rubber game at 3 p.m. on ACC Network.
A pair of home runs, the first by Tyler McDonough in the top of the seventh broke a 2-2 tie and then a two-run shot by Jose Torres in the eighth proved to be the difference in Virginia’s first loss since Feb. 22. The Cavaliers surrendered a season-high, three home runs in the contest.
Virginia freshman Chris Newell (Newtown Square, Pa.) hit a game-tying, lead-off home run in the bottom of the fifth as part of a 2-for-4 effort at the plate. The home run was Newell’s third of the season.
HOME RUN!!! Chris Newell with the response in the B5! A lead-off, solo blast levels the game at 2! His third HR of the season! #GoHoos
📺: https://t.co/re0GPPWiST pic.twitter.com/IjkgwCCMNa
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) March 7, 2020
Cavalier starting pitcher Mike Vasil (Wellesley, Mass.) produced his third-straight quality start after he allowed two runs over six innings of work. Vasil struck out six batters including inning-enders in the second and third to strand NC State runners on base.
The Cavaliers staked Vasil the initial 1-0 lead in the first inning when Nic Kent (Charlottesville, Va.) scored on a Zack Gelof (Rehoboth Beach, Del.) sacrifice fly. Kent led off the game with his fourth double of the season.
A two-out RBI single by Torres in the fourth knotted the game back at one and NC State took the lead in the top of the fifth with a solo home run from Tyler McDonough, his second of the series.
Wolfpack starting pitcher Nick Swiney, who came into the contest ranked first in the country in strikeouts, was credited with his fourth win and fanned a season-low five batters. The junior pitched seven innings allowing two runs and scattering five hits.
The Cavaliers will have freshman lefty Nate Savino (0-0) on the hill Sunday afternoon and he will be opposed by fellow southpaw, David Harrison (2-0).
Additional Notes
• Marc Lebreux (Montreal, Canada) singled in the first inning and Logan Michaels (DeForest, Wis.) hit a ball through the left side in the fifth to each extend their hitting streaks to a team best eight games.
• With Newell’s home run in the fifth, the Cavaliers have now gone deep in seven-straight games.
• Junior Alex Tappen (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) returned to the lineup after missing the previous 12 games win an injury and went 1-for-4 at the plate.
• Junior Zach Messinger (Chandler, Ind.) pitched the final 1.1 innings and struck out four, including all three in the top of the night after allowing a lead-off triple.