NC State Baseball Holds Off Cavaliers, 10-8

Saturday, May 18

Raleigh, N.C.

7:00 PM

NC State

32-24, 0

Virginia

25-30, 0

Virginia

NC State

5/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

May 18, 2002

Box Score

RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State got RBIs from seven players and took advantage of nine Virginia errors Saturday night at Doak Field to hold off the rallying Cavaliers, 10-8, in the second game of an Atlantic Coast Conference doubleheader. The Wolfpack, which won its sixth straight game, improved to 32-24 with the victory and 7-17 in the conference, while Virginia fell to 25-30 overall and 8-16 in the ACC.

Junior righthander Daniel Caldwell (7-7) picked up the win for the Wolfpack, tossing five shutout innings and striking out six. He allowed only three hits and walked one. Virginia's Greg Hansard (1-3) took the loss, allowing four earned runs in five innings on ten hits. He also struck out one and walked three. Senior righthander Ryan Combs picked up his second save of the year with four innings of relief work. He allowed three runs on six hits, walked one and struck out four.

The game was also the last game to be played at the "Old Doak," with renovations to the park set to begin during the offseason. NC State's 1968 squad, a team that advanced to the College World Series, kicked off the postgame ceremony by digging up home plate.

The Wolfpack jumped on Hansard with two runs in the first inning. Joe Gaetti led off the inning with a single to right and advanced to second on right fielder Matt Street's fielding error. After Brian Wright reached on another error, Justin Riley banged an RBI single to right to score Gaetti. Colt Morton then walked to load the bases before Matt Butler scored Wright with a fielder's choice to second to make the score 2-0, Wolfpack.

NC State seeminly blew the game open with five runs in the bottom of the second. Jeremy Dutton singled and Adam Hargrave reached on an error before Gaetti ripped a single to center to plate Dutton. Wright followed with a single to right, scoring Hargrave. One out later, Morton smashed a single to left, allowing Gaetti to race home. Butler then took a Hansard pitch to center for a run-scoring double and David Hicks lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Morton to give NC State a 7-0 lead.

After Morton singled and Butler walked to begin the bottom of the fourth, Hicks grounded out to advance both runners to second and third. Chad Orvella sent a ground ball to Cavaliers shortstop Mark Reynolds. Morton scored on the play when Reynolds' throw to the plate bounced in front of catcher Andrew Reisenfeld as Morton slid safely into home. After Dutton walked, Hargrave lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Butler and give NC State a 9-0 lead.

Reliever Daryl Minugh came on in relief of Caldwell and immediatley ran into trouble, allowing five runs without retiring a batter. Matt Street homered to center for his sixth round-tripper of the season after left fielder David Stone walked to begin the inning. Minugh then hit Dan Street with a pitch and walked Robert Word before facing Reynolds, who subsequently hammered Minugh's second offering deep to left field for a three-run blast to pull the Cavaliers within four runs at 9-5.

Combs came on in relief of Minugh at that point and promptly gave up a single to left to Rob Newton, a wild pitch, and an RBI double to Chris Sweet. One out later, Kyle Werman singled to short left to move Sweet to third, and Stone scored Sweet with a squeeze bunt to pull the Cavaliers within two runs at 9-7.

Virginia pushed across another run in the top of the seventh when Dan Street singled to left, stole second and scored on Sweet's RBI single to right. That cut the lead to 9-8, but Combs settled in at that point and retired eight of the final nine Virginia hitters in the game.

NC State added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Orvella scored on a Hargrave's fly ball to center field. Sweet's throw from center field eluded catcher Scott Headd and allowed Orvella to get in before the throw to the plate from the backstop.

Gaetti when 3-for-4 on the evening with one RBI and two runs scored to lead NC State. Butler posted a 2-for-4 outing with two RBIs.

Sweet led the UVa attack, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Reynolds led the team with three RBIs.

The next game for both squads will be in the ACC Tournament in St. Petersburg, Fla. The tournament begins on Tuesday, May 21 and runs through Saturday. Pairing will not be set until the conclusion of the regular season on Sunday afternoon.