The Wolfpack lost to Virginia in a back-and-forth game Sunday by a score of 11-7 in game three of the series at Dail Field, as the Cavaliers completed the series sweep.
NC State (26-26, 6-15 ACC) hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning courtesy of freshman shortstop April Visser and sophomore third baseman Logan Morris to take a 7-6 lead, but Virginia (20-30, 8-16 ACC) piled on five runs in the final two innings to win the game.
Sophomore left fielder Sam Russ, and Visser each had two hits to lead the Wolfpack while starting pitcher junior Devin Wallace allowed two earned runs in four innings of work for NC State.
The Cavaliers put on two runs in the first inning with a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly.
The Wolfpack responded in the bottom half of the inning when junior Skylar Johnston knocked an RBI double to left field.
NC State took the lead 3-2 in the second inning on a two-RBI double off the left-field wall from Russ.
The Virginia bats erupted for four runs in the third inning, highlighted by a three-run home run from Kate Covington.
A two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning by junior right fielder Brigette Nordberg, her 15th of the season, put the Wolfpack back within striking distance.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Visser and Morris hit their back-to-back home runs to seize the lead for NC State. It was the fourth time this season that NC State had hit back-to-back home runs.
Three runs scored, off three hits and an error in the sixth inning, plus a two-run home run from first baseman Lacy Smith in the seventh inning gave Virginia all the runs it would need, as NC State was held scoreless in the last two innings of the game.
The Wolfpack will be back in action Friday night, as they begin their final ACC Series of the year against Louisville with the first pitch set for 6 p.m.
