N.C. State began its ACC title defense with authority, sweeping Virginia in a three-game series at Dail Stadium over the weekend. The series finale came Sunday as the Wolfpack, led by three hits and two runs from senior second baseman Chelsea Tate, defeated the Cavaliers, 9-1, in just five innings of play.
“We felt like we had an opportunity this weekend to get three wins,” head coach Shawn Rychcik said. “They were hard-fought. We just took things one at a time.”
With the sweep, State extended its conference win streak to 14, which dates back to a win over UNC-Chapel Hill on Apr. 14, 2013.
State (8-6 overall, 3-0 ACC) and Virginia (2-14 overall, 0-3 ACC) are familiar foes, as the Pack knocked the Cavs out of the ACC Tournament last season after a 7-0 victory in the first round.
Before Sunday’s matchup, the Wolfpack took on the Cavs in its first double-header of the season in Raleigh. State took charge of both contests behind solid pitching from junior pitcher Emily Weiman, who delivered a shutout in the first game and didn’t give up a single walk throughout the entirety of the series.
Weiman carried her momentum from Saturday’s double-header into Sunday, striking out the first batter she faced and forcing the next two into pop flies.
However, it was Virginia that got on the scoreboard first on Sunday, as freshman catcher Katie Park drilled Weiman’s first pitch of the second inning over the left field wall for a home run. The solo shot marked Park’s first homer of the season.
Virginia was not done, as a double from the Cavalier’s centerfielder put a runner on base with no outs.
“On the third day, it’s always a little bit hard to get going,” Weiman said. “I got a little too relaxed at one point.”
Weiman quickly recovered from her early slump, earning three straight outs, including the second of her four strikeouts on the day, to end the inning. Rychcik said despite the sluggish start, he did not consider taking Weiman out of the game.
“I trust Emily,” Rychcik said. “She proved a lot to me last year, and she’ll always get the benefit of the doubt.”
After a rough second inning, Weiman settled into a groove and the Wolfpack’s offense took over. The Pack scored six runs in the third inning, batting around for the second time this season.
Tate started things off for State in the third, knocking a single into right field. The senior made her way around to home plate after a sacrifice grounder from junior shortstop Renada Davis.
Errors from the Cavaliers played a big role in the Pack’s six-run inning, as costly errors from Virginia’s shortstop and third baseman allowed three State base runners to score.
“They gave us a couple of opportunities with some errors,” Rychcik said. “We exploited it and really blew that inning open.”
Tate was not done in the third inning, as she drove home a runner for her first of two RBIs in the contest. However, Jones was caught trying to take third base by a laser of a throw from Virginia’s right fielder. The inning ended with the Pack leading, 6-1.
The Cavs entered the fourth inning with a new pitcher on the mound, freshman right-hander Lindsay Mayer. Mayer gave a solid performance in the fourth, allowing only one hit, but fell victim to the strength of the Pack’s batting rotation in the fifth.
State’s junior outfielder Sara Lippard was given the nod to pinch hit for Jones and did not disappoint, hammering a two-run homer to left field.
“I knew I would probably get an opportunity to come out and help seal the deal,” Lippard said. “I focused on getting a pitch I could see and lucked out and got a home run.”
Three pitches later, Tate hit her second home run of the year to give the Pack an eight-point lead and the mercy rule victory. The loss marked the seventh time this season that the Cavs have lost in fewer than seven innings.