Virginia Drops 10-9 Battle With NC State

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A back and forth battle went the way of the visiting team on Saturday (April 13) as Virginia (27-13, 10-7 ACC) brought the game-winning run to the plate in the seventh inning, but came up short in a 10-9 loss to NC State (23-19, 3-14 ACC).

The two teams will play a rubber match to decide the series at noon on Sunday (April 14).

HOW IT HAPPENED
NC State pushed four runs across in the second inning to start the scoring for the day as the Wolfpack capitalized on a pair of errors to put a crooked number on the board. An error and a single started the frame before Madison Inscoe doubled to right center to bring two runs home. A second error put runners at the corners with no outs. Houge and the Hoos got back-to-back outs around a stolen base that put two in scoring position, but a ball back up the middle from Taylor Ensley took the lead out to 4-0 in favor of the Wolfpack.

Virginia got a run back in the home half with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center from Leah Boggs. Kelly Ayer scored on the fly ball after reaching on a single through the right side in the second at bat of the inning. She took second when Shelby Barbee was hit by a pitch and a fielder’s choice for the first out in the inning advanced her to third before the Boggs fly out.

The Hoos cut the lead in half with a sac fly from Sarah Coon in the third that brought home Bella Cabral. Cabral reached on singled on to open the frame and took second on a walk of Weaver before a fly ball to the wall in deep center advanced her to third for the Coon fly out.

Jade Hylton then tied things up with a two-run home run in the fourth inning as the Hoos erased the four-run deficit.

NC State moved back in front in the fifth with a foul fly to left that got caught in the wind and blew back into fair territory at the wall, allowing a run to come home from third and left two on. Those two runs came home as the Wolfpack executed a double steal followed by a single back up the middle from Ellie Goins.

Once again, the Cavaliers answered in the home half with a two-out, two-RBI double to right from Leah Boggs to pull within one at 7-6.

The back and forth battle continued in the sixth as NC State used a solo home run and a two-run shot to center to drive the lead out to four at 10-6.

Virginia would mount another rally in the seventh, cutting the lead to one with the three-run rally. It started with a hit batter and back-to-back singles to load the bases. Hylton singled to bring the first run home and keep the bases loaded. Cabral then hit into a fielder’s choice at short, but the ball got away from the fielder at first on a double-play attempt and two runs came home to cut the lead to 10-9 before NC State would close out the game.

Madi Harris (7-3) suffered the relief loss, allowing three runs on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work. Harris entered the game in the fourth and the Hoos tied the game up in the bottom of the inning, but NC State would add three runs in the fifth to take the lead back for good.

Madison Inscoe (7-7) picked up the win, allowing six runs on nine hits with three walks and a strikeout in 3.2 innings of work. Rylee Wyman got her second save of the season as she closed out the final 2.1 innings and allowed three runs on two hits with a walk.

NOTES ON THE DAY

• It marks only the second time this season the Hoos have lost a game when scoring at least three runs.

FROM HEAD COACH JOANNA HARDIN
“There was a lot that went on with ups and downs today. It was truly a 14-round boxing match out there. We had an opportunities; we left 10 runners on base today and has some bases-loaded situations where we only came away with one run. We put ourselves in a position to bring the game winning run to the plate in the seventh, but it’s about finishing strong and to the best of our abilities. Championship teams are consistent in that you know what you will get every day when you go out. We need to turn it around quickly and come out tomorrow to fight all the way through and put all the emotions of Senior Day aside for 21 outs.”

UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS
Virginia and NC State close out the series at 12 p.m. on Sunday (April 14). It will be Senior Day with ceremonies honoring the fourth-year class following the game.