The NC State baseball team took a crucial series on the road against the Virginia Cavaliers, winning two of three games in Charlottesville, Virginia. The series victory was the Wolfpack’s first on the road against Virginia since 2007.
The Wolfpack needed an offensive explosion on Friday night to squeak by the Cavaliers 8-7 in the opening game of the series. The Wolfpack took a 4-0 lead in the top of the second on sophomore right fielder Brock Deatherage’s three-run triple to centerfield.
The Cavaliers battled back, scoring three runs in the second and third. However, the Wolfpack again opened up the lead to four runs in the fifth when sophomore centerfielder Josh McLain tripled and scored on a wild pitch.
Leading 8-5 in the eighth, the Wolfpack was able to hold off a furious Cavalier comeback for an 8-7 win.
Redshirt junior starter Johnny Piedmonte struggled for the Wolfpack, lasting three innings and allowing six hits and three runs. Freshman right hander Austin Staley earned his first collegiate win, with sophomore Tommy DeJuneas nailing down his fifth save of the season.
Game Two saw the best start of the series by a Wolfpack pitcher, as sophomore Brian Brown lasted a career-high seven and two-thirds innings, giving up just one unearned run on three hits. Unfortunately for Brown, the Wolfpack bats were silent for most of the contest, and redshirt sophomore Cody Beckman was disastrous in relief.
Beckman allowed four runs without recording an out, blowing a 1-0 deficit into a 5-0 deficit, and by the time the Wolfpack bats woke up with three runs in the ninth inning, it was already too late. Brown (3-1) took the loss despite his best outing of the season.
Sophomore shortstop Joe Dunand (3-4, one run, one RBI) and Deatherage (2-4, one RBI) paced the Wolfpack offensively.
The Wolfpack rallied in the series finale, earning a 5-2 victory and a series win. Junior left-hander Ryan Williamson started for the Wolfpack, lasting five innings and battling through five walks and three wild pitches to earn the win. Despite the wildness, Williamson only allowed three hits and two runs while striking out 10 batters on the day.
The Wolfpack took the early lead on an RBI single by junior catcher Andrew Knizner and further stretched the lead to 3-0 on RBI singles by McLain and sophomore second baseman Stephen Pitarra.
The Cavaliers battled back, taking advantage of Williamson’s inaccuracy to bring the score to 3-2 in the third. The Cavaliers scored on a hit by pitch with the bases loaded in the second and a wild pitch in the third.
Still, despite the threats, the Cavaliers were only able to muster the two runs and the Wolfpack remained in control.
The Wolfpack extended the lead to 4-2 in the fourth on an RBI ground out by Deatherage and then brought it to 5-2 on a single by McLain in the sixth.
Senior lefty Will Gilbert was solid in relief, shutting down the Cavaliers over three innings to earn the save and give the Wolfpack a much needed weekend send-off.
With the win, the Wolfpack improved to 19-9 on the season and 5-5 in the ACC. The team will have a midweek game against UNC-Charlotte Wednesday before taking on Wake Forest in a conference series.
