Last year, N.C. State took two of three from then-No. 1 Virginia and looked poised to repeat the feat against this year's top-ranked team. Heading into Saturday's doubleheader, the Wolfpack had won five straight, and in game one they handed ace junior pitcher Danny Hultzen his first loss of the season. But the Cavaliers fought back for two close wins to steal the series.
"When you have an All-American like Danny Hultzen on the mound and we don't get that win in game one, the fact that we came back and won the night cap last night and then won the series today really shows that this team has something special," coach Brian O'Connor said.
One bad inning cost Virginia the first game against the Wolfpack (24-18, 9-12 ACC). Hultzen cruised through the first five innings, allowing just four hits and smoking a two-RBI double to give No. 1 Virginia (40-4, 18-3 ACC) a 2-0 lead. During the sixth, however, N.C. State broke through against the lefty.
Junior designated hitter Pratt Maynard opened the inning by sending a screaming double down the right field line, and then N.C. State blooped a single just over the head of junior first baseman Jared King. With runners on first and third, King booted a slow roller to first, allowing Maynard to score.
King's "not perfect," O'Connor said. "Sometimes the game gets you, and the game got him today, but he's a really tough kid, and he'll get right back on it."
After that cheap RBI, N.C. State earned its next one with a single to center. Sophomore shortstop Chris Diaz then pushed a bunt past Hultzen that King reached too late to make a play. The next batter ripped a ball just fair down the right side, and then junior center fielder Brett Williams split the right-center gap for an RBI-triple, which gave the Wolfpack their 6-2 winning margin.
"We didn't play a real good game on our first game; that was uncharacteristic of us," O'Connor said." It's rare though "when you're 43 games into the season and to have [only] one game like that where you don't play good baseball. Most teams have five to six by now."
Only two of N.C. State's six runs against Hultzen were earned, but it is rare for the lefty to allow any runs at all. The Cavaliers' Friday night starter entered the game with a 1.17 ERA and Virginia consequently had not dropped the first game of a series all year.
In fact, all three of the team's
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