May 27, 2004

2004 ACC Baseball Championship Central | Gametracker

SALEM, Va. - Jake Muyco lined a single off the first baseman's glove to drive in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth Thursday, capping a thrilling rally that started after two were out and no one was on base as NC State defeated Virginia 6-5 in an elimination game at the 2004 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament.

The Wolfpack's rally ended a wild game that saw lead changes and three ties, a four-bunt rally by Virginia, and a season-high four errors by the Wolfpack, which improved to 35-21 with the win. Virginia, ranked ninth in the latest RPI index by the NCAA, dropped to 42-13 and was eliminated from the tournament.

The victory sends NC State into an elimination game Friday at 10 a.m. against the loser of Thursday evening's Clemson-Georgia Tech game. Should the Wolfpack win on Friday morning, it would come back at 8:30 to face the winner of an elimination game between North Carolina and the loser of Wednesday night's Florida State-Duke game. In order to win the tournament, NC State must win twice on Friday, twice on Saturday and once on Sunday.

Daniel Caldwell faced two batters, threw 10 pitches and got the final out in the top of the ninth inning to get the win and improve to 3-1. The Wolfpack's Vern Sterry started and went 8 2/3 innings, but was not around to figure in the decision. Sterry allowed five runs, only two of which were earned, on five hits. He walked a season-high four and struck out four. Virginia reliever Canon Hickman took the loss and fell to 8-3 after allowing two runs on three hits in 1 2/3 innings.

The Cavaliers broke on top in the top of the second inning. Joe Koshansky drew a four-pitch walk, and with one out Sterry hit Tom Hagan with a pitch. Matt Street singled to center to drive in Koshansky, and Street and Hagan advanced to second and third when the throw home got by catcher Caleb Mangum for an error. Kyle Werman's squeeze bunt drove in Hagan to give Virginia a 2-0 lead.

The Wolfpack answered with an almost identical rally in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Eric Taylor and Mangum grounded singles to right field to put runners at first and second. Tim Holt's sharp liner was too hot for Koshansky to handle at first base and went for a hit, driving in Taylor and advancing Mangum to third. Jonathan Diaz then squeezed Mangum home to tie the score at 2-2.

Ryan Johnson led off the bottom of the third with a walk, David Hicks moved him to second with a single to center, and Mike Jensen drove him home with a single to right, giving Sterry and the Wolfpack a 3-2 lead after three innings.

Virginia tied the game at 3-3 without the benefit of a hit in the top of the sixth. Mark Reynolds led off, walked, and went to second when Sterry was called for a balk on a pickoff attempt. Matt Dunn struck out, but Ryan Zimmerman reached when Holt couldn't handle his ground ball, an error that put runners on the corners with two down. The Cavaliers pulled off a double steal to get the run home, with Zimmerman stealing second and Reynolds scoring after the throw from Mangum went through to second base.

Virginia took the lead in the top of the seventh with its bunt offense, laying down four consecutive bunts, two of which NC State handled cleanly, and two of which went for very costly errors. Hagan got it started with a bunt up the third-base line. Mangum started to let the ball roll to see if it would go foul, then picked it up and made a high throw to first base for an error. Street was next and bunted right to Hicks at first base. Hicks threw to shortstop Jonathan Diaz covering the bag at second to nail Hagan for the first out of the inning. Tim Henry then laid down a beauty of a bunt to the left of the mound that Sterry fielded and should have held onto. Instead, Sterry spun and gunned the ball, off-balance, past first base and down the left-field line into foul territory, an error that allowed Street to score the go-ahead run from second base.

The Wolfpack tied the game in the bottom of the eighth on two hits, a hit batter and a bases-loaded walk. Dustin Knight led off and singled to right. Taylor doubled to deep center field, but Knight had to hold at second to make sure the ball fell in and wound up at third base. Hickman came in to pitch for the Cavaliers and hit pinch-hitter Lee Mezistrano with a pitch to load the bases. Holt worked Hickman for a walk to drive in Knight and tie the score at 4-4.

Virginia took the lead right back in the top of the ninth on Henry's clutch hit. Hagan led off an walked, and Mike Mitchell came in to pinch-run. Street laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to second. Werman flied to center for the second out, but Henry rolled a single through the right side of the NC State infield, driving in Mitchell to give UVa a 5-4 lead.

With the Pack trailing by a run, Hicks led off the bottom of the ninth and flied out harmlessly to center field. Jensen struck out, and suddenly NC State was one out - three strikes -- from elimination. Knight rolled a ground ball through the left side of the infield for a base hit, and scored all the way from first when Taylor's line drive into the left-center-field gap fell in for a double. Muyco, who entered the game for defense in the top half of the inning, worked Hickman to a 1-2 count before lining a shot off the glove of Koshansky at first base, with Taylor scoring the winning run.