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This Hour: Latest Virginia sports

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NATIONALS-GIANTS

Desmond lifts Nationals over Giants in 10 innings

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Ian Desmond singled in Bryce Harper in the 10th inning, and the Washington Nationals beat the San Francisco Giants 2-1 on Wednesday to avoid a 3-game series sweep.

Harper sparked the winning rally with a one-out double. Ryan Zimmerman was walked intentionally before Desmond came up with his big hit against Jeremy Affeldt (1-1).

Tyler Clippard (3-1) pitched a perfect 10th for the win and Rafael Soriano got three outs for his 14th save. He failed to convert each of his last two chances, including Tuesday night's 4-2 loss.

Buster Posey hit a tying RBI single for San Francisco in the eighth.

ACC-CLEMSON-NC STATE

NC State tops Clemson 6-3 in ACC tournament

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Brett Austin drove in two runs during a four-run seventh inning to help North Carolina State beat Clemson 6-3 on Wednesday night in pool play at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

Jake Fincher had an RBI single before Austin's two-run double in the seventh snapped a 2-2 tie for the fourth-seeded Wolfpack (43-13).

Grant Clyde also had a solo homer in the second for N.C. State, while reliever Josh Easley (5-2) earned the win by allowing a run and two hits in four innings.

Garrett Boulware had three hits and a solo homer in the ninth for the fifth-seeded Tigers (39-18), while starter Daniel Gossett (9-4) took the loss by allowing six runs - five earned - and six hits in 6 1-3 innings.

N.C. State and Clemson are off until Friday, with the Wolfpack facing No. 8 seed Miami and the Tigers facing top-seeded North Carolina in Pool A.

ACC-VIRGINIA TECH-VIRGINIA

Virginia Tech beats Virginia 10-1 in ACC tourney

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Chad Pinder hit two home runs - including a sixth-inning grand slam - and drove in six runs to help Virginia Tech beat Virginia 10-1 on Wednesday in pool play of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

Pinder and Tyler Horan each had three hits for the sixth-seeded Hokies (36-19), who had a six-run second inning against the third-seeded Cavaliers (45-10). Pinder hit a two-run shot in the second, then blew the game open with a blast over the left-field wall in the sixth.

Chad Morgan and Brendon Hayden added consecutive RBI doubles in the second for Virginia Tech, while Joe Mantiply (6-0) earned the win by allowing one run in seven innings.

Virginia starter Brandon Waddell (5-2) allowed six runs and 10 hits in four innings.

Virginia will face seventh-seeded Georgia Tech on Thursday in Pool B, while Virginia Tech will face No. 2 seed Florida State.

ACC-GEORGIA TECH-FLORIDA STATE

Georgia Tech tops Florida State 4-3 in ACC tourney

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - A.J. Murray and Mott Hyde hit back-to-back homers in the top of the ninth inning to help reigning champion Georgia Tech beat Florida State 4-3 on Wednesday in pool play at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

The seventh-seeded Yellow Jackets (34-23) led off the ninth with a pair of groundouts before Murray hit a solo shot to left against reliever Robby Coles to tie the game. Then Hyde followed with another shot to left to stun the second-seeded Seminoles (44-13).

Giovanny Alfonzo flied out to left in the bottom of the ninth to end the game for Florida State, with Coles (4-2) taking the loss.

Hyde had three hits and two RBIs for Georgia Tech, while reliever Daniel Palka (2-1) took the win with two scoreless innings of work.

Florida State will face sixth-seeded Virginia Tech on Thursday in Pool B, while Georgia Tech will face No. 3 seed Virginia.

MYSTICS PREVIEW

Thibault, retooling Mystic optimistic about season

WASHINGTON (AP) - The retooling Washington Mystics are coming off back-to-back disappointing seasons and some are reticent to make anything but the mildest positive declarations regarding the upcoming campaign.

Forward Monique Currie says "it can't get any worse than it did last year" when the Mystics finished with 5-29 record. Of course, a year ago, similar rock-bottom statements were made following a six-win season - then things got worse.

Hoping to get the franchise turned around, the Mystics replaced coach and general manager Trudi Lacey with former Connecticut Sun coach Mike Thibault. The second-winningest coach in WNBA history, Thibault amassed a 206-134 record in 10 seasons at Connecticut.

Thibault says upping the team's energy levels is important and thinks "we're headed in that direction."

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