NC State rallies for 8-7 win over Virginia to take ACC series
Virginia scored four runs in the seventh inning to take a lead on N.C. State on Sunday.
That might have been the worst thing the Cavaliers could have done.
Comebacks and one-run games are N.C. State’s specialty this season. The Wolfpack chalked up another with an 8-7 win over Virginia to take the ACC series. N.C. State (27-2, 10-2 ACC) improved to 11-1 in one-run games and won for the eighth time after trailing after the sixth inning.
“With this club, we don’t really worry at all,” freshman Tyler McDonough said. “It’s a new game, just keep the energy up and see what happens.”
It was McDonough’s two-run homer in the seventh inning which turned out to be the difference. After UVa (16-12, 6-6) put up four runs in the top of the seventh to take a 7-4 lead, Jonny Butler led off the bottom of the inning with a triple.
Shortstop Will Wilson scored Butler with one of his three doubles on the afternoon. Catcher Patrick Bailey grounded out and then first baseman Evan Edwards singled.
McDonough turned on a pitch from UVa’s Chesdin Harrington and launched it over the scoreboard in right field for the 8-7 lead.
“That ball (McDonough) hit — wow!” N.C. State coach Elliott Avent said. “And he knew it. He didn’t ‘pimp’ it, he didn’t bat-flip it but he did like you are supposed to — he looked at if for a second. It reminded of Mickey Mantle a little bit.”
Maybe he’s not “The Mick” but McDonough has been a revelation for the Wolfpack, which entered the weekend No. 1 in the country in one national poll and in the top 10 in the others. Avent knew what he had in returning hitting stars Wilson, Bailey and Edwards but he had to find three new outfielders.
The freshman from Cincinnati has slid into the centerfield spot for Josh McLain, an All-ACC pick in 2018. McDonough went 2 for 4 on Sunday to raise his average to .366 on the season. He has three home runs and 27 RBIs on the season.
After Reid Johnston threw a complete game in Saturday’s 3-0 win, N.C. State had to use seven pitchers on Sunday. Cameron Cotter came in, with one out in the ninth and the tying run on third base, to get Brendan Rivoli ground out to shortstop and Cameron Simmons to pop out to right field.
After dropping the first game of a series for the first time all season, N.C. State needed to rally on Sunday to win the series. The response, after losing 4-3 on Friday, was exactly was Avent was looking for out of his players.
“This team just doesn’t quit, I’m telling you,” Avent said. “It’s just amazing what they’ve done.”
Even after the best start in school history (it won the first 19 games of the season) and the best ACC start (10-2), the Wolfpack is only one game ahead of Clemson and Louisville in the Atlantic Division (both 9-3).
Not that this group is too worried about the division standings or keeping up with the torrid winning pace uncommon in college baseball. The Wolfpack just keeps finding ways to win and usually late and usually in tight games.
“It’s just fun,” Wilson said. “This team is just really fun. The chemistry is great. You have a lot of fun playing with these guys. You never really worry, you never break a sweat in big situations. You just trust the guy next to you and keep playing.”
This story was originally published March 31, 2019 at 6:16 PM.