Virginia Falls on Saturday to NC State; Sets up Sunday Rubber Match

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Virginia baseball team (17-12, 7-7 ACC) dropped a 9-2 contest to NC State (20-11, 6-5 ACC) on Saturday afternoon (April 5) at Doak Field.

To even the weekend series, the home-standing Wolfpack took control of Saturday’s game by scoring six unanswered runs in the second and third innings after Virginia jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the opening frame.

UVA starting pitcher Evan Blanco surrendered five earned runs on nine hits over his 2.1 innings of work. NC State’s Heath Andrews stifled the Cavalier offense on Saturday to pick up his third win of the season. The Wolfpack starter allowed a pair of runs on three hits over six innings.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Aidan Teel worked a leadoff walk to open the game before coming home to score when Henry Ford grounded into a double play to give UVA a 1-0 lead after the first.
• NC State tied the game at one in the bottom of the second with a solo home run from Justin DeCriscio.
• The Wolfpack went on to plate three more runs in the frame on four base hits and a Cavalier error that kept the inning alive.
• NC State extended its lead to 6-1 by plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the third on an RBI single and a passed ball.
• Following the NC State onslaught, the UVA relief duo of Alex Markus and Dean Kampschror kept the Wolfpack offense at bay with a combined 3.1 shutout innings out of the bullpen.
• The final Virginia run of the contest came in the top of the sixth when Ford doubled home Eric Becker to cut the NC State advantage to 6-2.

• NC State tacked on its final three runs of the day in the eighth inning on a groundout and two-run single to push Saturday’s final score to 9-2.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• The loss halted Virginia’s five-game win streak, which tied for the longest of the season (Feb. 25-March 2)
• Virginia falls to 7-1 on the year when Aidan Teel bats leadoff.
• UVA was outhit 14-5 on Saturday.
• The Cavaliers drop to 7-3 on the season when scoring first.
• Ford extended his team-best on-base streak to 13 games on Saturday with his RBI double in the sixth.

UP NEXT

The rubber match against NC State is set for 3 p.m. on Sunday at Doak Field. The ACC Network and WINA (98.9 FM/1070 AM) will carry the contest that will see LHP Tomas Valincius (2-1) start on the mound for Virginia opposite of NC State’s LHP Ryan Marohan (3-2).