March 27, 1999

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - North Carolina State broke a 3-3 tie with a five-run seventh inning en route to an 8-3 victory over the University of Virginia here Saturday. With the loss, the Cavaliers fall to 10-18 on the season and 2-5 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Wolfpack improves to 23-6 and 3-5.

After NCSU put two unearned runs on the board in the top of the first, Virginia plated a run in the bottom of the inning thanks to an RBI double by Julian Gonzalez. The Cavaliers then took the lead with two in the second when Jon Benick singled up the middle to plate Michael Floyd and Josh Bowling.

The Wolfpack tied the score at 3-3 in the fifth on a ground out to second by Aaron Maher. State then put five on the board in the seventh thanks to seven hits and a UVA error. Andy Baxter had the big hit in the inning for the Wolfpack, a two-run triple down the rightfield line.

Dan D'Amato started and went six innings for NCSU to earn the win. D'Amato (4-1) allowed three runs on 12 hits with a walk and a strike out. Ryan Combs and Corey Mattison combined to throw the final three innings in scoreless fashion.

The big seventh spoiled a good outing by UVA starter Jon Metzger, who was making his first-career ACC start. The sophomore Southpaw allowed three runs, only one of which was earned, on six hits with two walks and four strike outs over five and two thirds innings. It was the first time in 10 appearances this season that Metzger did not have more whiffs than innings pitched.

Tommy Keiper (1-1) was responsible for four of the five runs in the seventh and took the loss.

Virginia pounded out 15 hits on the day, tied for third most in a game this season and the most in a loss. State also had 15 hits and both teams left 11 runners stranded.

Jason Smith and Brian Ward both had three hits on the day for the Wolfpack with the latter scoring three times. Catcher Dan Mooney went 2-for-3 and drove in two, as did Baxter and Maher.

Gonzalez enjoyed a 3-for-5 day at the plate as did Benick and those two batters drove in all three Virginia runs. Luis Giraldo, Tim LaVigne and Hunter Wyant had two hits apiece.

UVA and NCSU will wrap up this three-game series here Sunday at 1 p.m.

No. 26 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 8, VIRGINIA 3

 NCSU (23-6, 3-5)    200 010 500 -  8 15  0
 UVA (10-18, 2-5)    120 000 000 -  3 15  2

WP - D'Amato (4-1). LP - Keiper (1-1). Sv - None. D'Amato, Combs (7), Mattison (9) and Mooney; Metzger, Keiper (6), Shrout (7) and Benick. T - 2:54. A - 147.