Virginia Powers Past NC State in Series Opener

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Virginia baseball team (17-11, 7-6 ACC) scored seven unanswered runs to top NC State (19-11, 5-5 ACC) in an 8-6 contest on Friday night (April 4) at Doak Field.

After falling behind 4-1 in the fifth inning, Virginia plated four runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh behind home runs from Aidan Teel, Jacob Ference and Eric Becker.

Ference paced the Virginia offense on Friday with a 3-for-5 night and drove in a quartet of runs. In addition to Ference, the Cavalier trio of Teel, Becker and Henry Ford each went 2-for-5 on the night.

UVA starting pitcher Jay Woolfolk surrendered one earned run over 4.2 innings pitched with six strikeouts but did not factor into the decision. Matthew Buchanan picked up the win for Virginia, while Jack O’Connor was awarded the save.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After both teams went down in order to start the series opener, NC State starched across the first run of the game in the bottom of the second on a Cavalier throwing error.
• Virginia tied the contest in the top of the fourth when Ford came home to score on a Henry Godbout sacrifice fly.
• The Wolfpack answered with a run in the home half of the fourth and two more in the fifth to take a 4-1 advantage after five innings in the books.
• UVA’s four-run sixth started with a leadoff home run from Teel. The laser down the line in right was Teel’s third homer of the season and second in as many games.

• With two on and two out, Ference put the Cavaliers up for good with a three-run blast on a 2-2 pitch that scored Godbout and Becker to complete the four-run sixth.

• After a shutdown inning from Buchanan, Becker added on in the top of the seventh with a leadoff solo shot of his own.

• Virginia extended its lead with two more runs in the frame on a Godbout RBI double to right center and a Wolfpack error to make it an 8-4 contest.
• Out of the bullpen, Matt Lanzendorfer wiggled his out of a pair of jams in the seventh and eighth with inning-ending double plays.

• NC State got two runs back in the bottom of the ninth with a pair of solo home runs from Chris McHugh and Brayden Fraasman before O’Connor secured the 8-6 victory for the Cavaliers.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Virginia moves to 7-0 on the year when Aidan Teel bats leadoff.
• Friday’s win was the 11th come-from-behind victory of the year.
• UVA’s three home runs on Friday tied for most in a game this season.
• The Cavaliers improve to 15-1 on the year when scoring six or more runs. 

UP NEXT 

Virginia will look to take the series on Saturday (April 5) in the second game of the three-game set. The Cavaliers will have lefty Evan Blanco (1-1) on the bump against the Wolfpack’s righthander Heath Andrews (2-1). First pitch is scheduled for a 3 p.m. first pitch on ACCNX and WINA (98.9 FM/1070 AM).