The Virginia baseball team found out the hard way that to err is human, but to commit errors is anything but divine. Crucial missteps led directly to the Cavaliers' 10-3 loss to N.C. State (12-13, 4-5 ACC) at U.Va. Baseball Field yesterday afternoon.
"I think we lost our defensive focus and concentration," Virginia coach Dennis Womack said. "I know it's easy to look over and say they got 10 runs and 13 hits, but a lot of those hits come after you've already messed up defensively. Defensively, we didn't play well enough. We basically got what we deserved."
With the game tied 2-2 in the top of the sixth, Wolfpack center fielder Joe Gaetti laid down a sacrifice bunt with runners on first and second and no outs. The dribbling bunt rolled down the third baseline Cavalier pitcher Dan Street fielded the ball. Street's off-balance throw sailed over first baseman Robert Word's head and into right field. One run scored and the runners advanced to second and third on the error.
"I hesitated I guess," Street said. "I considered going to third, and I threw off my back foot throwing it to first."
Before the Cavaliers (15-10, 4-5) could escape the inning, N.C. State scored two more runs, both unearned. This gave the Wolfpack a 5-2 lead it would not relinquish.
"I don't think there's any doubt about it," Virginia coach Dennis Womack said. "I think that's really the key to the whole ballgame - that we didn't handle a couple of bunts, basic plays, and I think that got us. I think that's unfortunate that turned the game, but it did."
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After adding another run in the seventh, the Wolfpack scored four unearned runs in the top of the eighth inning. Virginia second baseman Robert Newton's throwing error, one of four by the Cavaliers in the game, allowed Sam Esposito to reach on a sacrifice bunt. N.C. State catcher Colt Morton, who hit a homer earlier in the day, smacked a two RBI double down the leftfield line that highlighted the Wolfpack's inning.
Street (2-2) finished the day giving up eight runs, only four earned, on 12 hits in 7 1/3 innings pitched.
"You got to give them credit," Street said. "They hit the ball real well and they got the breaks. Balls were going through, and I couldn't make a big pitch when I needed it."
Despite Virginia's disappointing outing defensively, the Cavaliers had chances to put more runs on the board. The Cavaliers loaded the bases in the first, second and third innings, but could not covert in the first and second. Only Cav freshman Chris Sweet's two-run double in the third prevented Virginia from coming up empty in all three innings.
"It's unfortunate because we had opportunities," Womack said. "The first three innings we had the bases loaded. But there are going to be times where you aren't going to get the big base hit no matter how good your team is going offensively."
After entering in the third inning, N.C. State relief pitcher Daniel Caldwell (3-3) kept the Cavaliers' bats quiet. He allowed one run on six hits in 6 1/3 innings pitched and had a game-high six strikeouts.
"Caldwell did a nice job," Womack said. "I think Caldwell was kind of the turning point for them. They needed somebody to come in and stop us, and they got their guy to do that."
After winning the first two games of the weekend series against the Wolfpack, Virginia was looking for a sweep of their conference foe with a win yesterday. Street's game-winning RBI single gave the Cavaliers an 8-7 victory on Friday, and Virginia also won, 10-2, on Saturday.
"We had a nice weekend, two out of three, but we could have had a great weekend," Womack said. "We had a chance after winning the first two to jump out there and do something. I really felt good coming into today, you always feel good when you got your best pitcher on the mound."
Virginia's costly errors proved to be too much for even its best pitcher to overcome.
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