No. 23 NC State Rallies in Ninth to Avoid Sweep

RALEIGH, N.C. – No. 23 NC State (15-5, 2-4 ACC) scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to register a 5-4 walk-off victory over No. 14 Virginia (17-2, 4-2 ACC) on Saturday (March 18). The Cavaliers were one strike away from a come-from-behind victory of their own that was spearheaded by a Jake Gelof two-run home run in the top half of the ninth.

NC State collected four hits in the fateful final frame, the last by Cannon Peebles who singled home two runs to win it and helped the Wolfpack avoid the series sweep. With UVA trailing 2-1 in the ninth, Gelof and Kyle Teel hit back-to-back home runs to put UVA up 4-2. The Cavaliers were down a run beginning in the second inning all the way until Gelof’s team-leading, sixth homer of the year.

The home run by Gelof was his 31^st of his career, moving him into sole possession of fifth on UVA’s all-time home run list. He finished the day 3-for-4 with triple a home run and three RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Virginia opened the scoring just three batters into the game. After Ethan O’Donnell singled and stole second, Gelof tripled down the right field line to put UVA up 1-0. It was the 10^th time in 19 games this season UVA has scored in the first inning. UVA has scored 30 first-inning runs, the most in any other frame.
• NC State captured its first lead of the weekend with a pair of solo home runs by Eli Serrano III and Chase Nixon in the bottom of the second.
• UVA starting pitcher Jack O’Connor struck out a season-high eight batters and did not issue a walk in 5.2 innings of work. All three weekend starters for UVA pitched five or more innings.
• The Cavaliers escaped a bases loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the eighth to setup the ninth-inning theatrics. Jake Berry induced an inning-ending ground out in which he beat Serrano to the back on a 3-1 putout.
• Griff O’Ferrall was the catalyst in the ninth inning, lining the first pitch of the inning into the gap in left center for a lead-off double. The double was the eighth of the series by the Cavalier offense.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Virginia hit back-to-back home runs for the first time this season and the first time since Ethan Anderson and Casey Saucke went back-to-back against Louisville on May 20, 2022.
• UVA has won consecutive series against NC State for the first time since the two teams began playing three-game series in 1990.
• The Cavaliers have won four of the last six meetings against NC State.
• Gelof is now two home runs behind Mike Lindner (1987-90) for fourth place on UVA’s all-time home run list.
• The series victory over NC State is the first in Raleigh since the two teams started playing three-game series with regularity in 1990. The last time UVA won back-to-back games in Raleigh was in 1969 when it swept a doubleheader on May 9.

UP NEXT

Virginia will return home for midweek contests against High Point (Tuesday) and Georgetown (Wednesday) as part of a six-game homestand. Both games in the midweek are scheduled for 4 p.m. starts.