Virginia ace Griff McGarry walked eight in four innings, but somehow only gave up one run, and the Cavaliers bullpen picked up the slack to push UVA to a 7-3 win over #7 N.C. State on Friday at Disharoon Park.
The Wolfpack (11-1, 0-1 ACC) left the bases loaded in each of the first two innings, and then the ‘Hoos (11-3, 1-0 ACC) got on the board in the bottom of the second, on a two-run homer by Jimmy Sullivan, his third of the season, and a double steal that scored Logan Michaels from third.
An RBI fielder’s choice from Lawson McArthur in the top of the third cut the State deficit to 3-1, but UVA got the run back in the bottom half of the third when Zach Gelof scored on a wild pitch.
N.C. State cut the deficit to 4-2 in the top of the sixth on a Patrick Bailey RBI double, but again the ‘Hoos answered, this time with a pair of runs, on a Gelof sac fly and an error that allowed Drew Hamrock to score.
A Tyler McDonough homer got State back to 6-3 in the top of the eighth, but, broken record, Virginia answered in the bottom half, with an RBI single from Marc Lebreux that pushed the lead back to four.
McGarry struck out five and allowed one hit and one earned run in his four-inning stint, going 104 pitches, only 45 of them strikes.
Blake Bales (3-0, 2.70 ERA) picked up the win in relief, giving up a run on three hits in an inning and two-thirds of work, striking out three.
Steven Schoch notched his fifth save, pitching around two hits and a walk to retire the side when McDonough lined out to short with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth.
N.C. State left 17 runners on base in its first loss of the season.
For Virginia, it was a second win over a ranked opponent in 2020, added to a win in the season opener over current #15 Oklahoma back on Feb. 14.
UVA and N.C. State meet for Game 2 of the three-game weekend set on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Virginia will send out right-hander Mike Vasil (2-0, 2.25 ERA) to face Wolfpack lefty Nick Swiney (3-0, 0.86 ERA).
Story by Chris Graham
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Chris Graham
