Baseball ACCtion: Saturday, March 29
Georgia Tech, Virginia and Miami clinch series; Wake Forest, NC State and Maryland push series even.



March 29, 2008

GAME 1: Duncan Pitches No. 17 Tech Baseball Past Boston College in Series Opener

ATLANTA - David Duncan allowed just one hit through the first six innings to lead No. 17 Georgia Tech (20-5, 6-4 ACC) to a 5-2 win over Boston College (11-12, 2-8 ACC) in the series opener and first game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Commander Shea Field.

Duncan (4-0) faced the minimum through the first 2.2 innings and, after allowing a single with two outs in the bottom of the second, retired 11-straight before giving up a solo home run to Tony Sanchez to break up the shutout. The 6-8 lefty worked a season-long eight innings, giving up two runs on four hits while striking out a season-high 10 batters.

Brad Rulon tossed the ninth inning and earned his second save of the season. After Rulon hit the first batter he faced, Eric Campbell dropped a single just out second baseman Thomas Nichols' reach to put runners on first and second. Rulon worked out of the jam by forcing a pair of flyouts before striking out pinch hitter John Spatola to end the game.

GAME TWO: Feltes Homers Twice in No. 17 Tech Baseball's 13-2 Win at Boston College

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - A grand slam by Brad Feltes highlighted a seven-run seventh inning and the senior third baseman added another home run - a three-run shot - in the eighth to lead No. 17 Georgia Tech (21-5, 7-4 ACC) to a 13-2 win over Boston College (11-13, 2-9 ACC) to sweep a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Commander Shea Field.

Derek Dietrich and Jason Haniger collected three hits apiece to lead the Yellow Jackets' offense in the second game of the day, with five of the six hits between the two going for extra bases. Dietrich went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a single while Haniger had a triple and two doubles in the game.

After yielding a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning, Tech starter Eddie Burns (4-1) held the Eagles' hitters at bay, facing just two over the minimum over the next five innings. The 6-8 righty gave up just the two first-inning runs, only one of which was earned, on seven hits. He also fanned seven to pick up his fourth win of the season.

McAnaney, No. 15 Baseball Thump Virginia Tech, 9-2

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Behind a dominating complete-game effort from Pat McAnaney (Sr., Syracuse, N.Y.), the Virginia baseball team defeated Virginia Tech, 9-2, Saturday afternoon in ACC play at Davenport Field. McAnaney (3-1) struck out a career-high 13 and allowed just two earned runs, six hits and two walks as he earned his second career complete game.

McAnaney matched the complete-game performance of Jacob Thompson (Jr., Danville, Va.) from Friday night. It marked the first back-to-back complete games by Virginia since 2004 when Joe Koshansky and Matt Avery recorded consecutive complete games in wins over George Mason and Princeton, respectively, in the NCAA tournament.

Jeremy Farrell (Jr., Westlake, Ohio) went 3-for-4 with three RBI while Dan Grovatt (Fr., Tabernacle, N.J.) and David Coleman (Fr., Richmond, Va.) each had two hits and two RBI for the Cavaliers.

David Cross (2-1) took the loss for the Hokies. He started and went two innings and allowed six runs (two earned), six hits and a walk while striking out one. The Virginia Tech defense did little to help the cause by committing five errors.

Duke Offense Shut Down In Game Two Of Miami Series As Blue Devils Fall 8-1

DURHAM, N.C. - Enrique Garcia tossed eight innings of one run baseball to lead second-ranked Miami to an 8-1 win Saturday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field while clinching a three-game series over the Blue Devils.

Garcia (1-0) hurled 107 pitches while striking out five and retiring 15 straight hitters over his last five innings of work. He benefited from a perfect defensive effort from his teammates, as Miami went without an error for the second straight game while also turning a double play. The win was the second of the series for Miami, who held on for a 7-5 win in extra innings Friday night.

Garcia also received offensive support from nearly every member of Miami's (21-1, 9-1 ACC) offense, as seven different Hurricanes contributed an RBI. Center fielder Blake Tekotte, sophomore shortstop Ryan Jackson and junior outfielder Adan Severino each collected three hits, while Jackson crossed the plate twice.

Duke's lone RBI came off the bat of Jeremy Gould as the sophomore left fielder connected on a two-out single in the bottom of the third to drive in Ryan McCurdy from second base. McCurdy was one of two Blue Devils to reach base more than once after being hit by a pair of pitches in his first two at bats. Senior designated hitter Jonathan Nicolla reached with a single and a walk, while Matt Williams and Kyle Kreick also contributed singles.

Wake Forest Shuts Down No. 2 Florida State, 4-2

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Behind six shutout innings from starter Garrett Bullock, Wake Forest handed No. 2-ranked Florida State its first ACC loss of the season with a 4-2 defeat of the Seminoles on a rain-soaked Saturday afternoon at Hooks Stadium.

The Deacons snapped their six-game losing streak and improved to 12-12 overall and 5-5 in the ACC. The Seminoles saw their six-game winning streak come to an end, falling to 22-3 overall and 10-1 in conference play.

Bullock (3-1) shut down the vaunted FSU offense in one of the best starts of his career. The junior lefty scattered six hits over six innings. He struck out five and walked five.

Phil Negus also turned in a stellar outing in relief of Bullock. The sophomore pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings and did not allow a single base hit. Negus struck out two and walked two before leaving with one out and no runners on in the ninth.

NC State Baseball Comes From Behind, Downs No. 3 North Carolina 8-6

CARY, N.C. - After struggling offensively and losing four times in five games, NC State needed a morale boost and a character-builder. It got both Saturday in an 8-6 come-from-behind victory over North Carolina in the second game of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at the USA Baseball Training Complex.

The Wolfpack, which improved to 15-9 overall and 5-6 in the ACC, carried a 2-2 tie into the bottom of the sixth inning, only to have the baseball gods conjure up a four-run inning for the Tar Heels on three hits, two walks, two wild pitches, a sacrifice bunt and a balk against starter Eric Surkamp and reliever Jake Buchanan. That gave North Carolina a 6-2 lead, but the Wolfpack rallied against the leading pitching staff in the conference, scoring three runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth to hand UNC only its second loss in its last 12 games.

Surkamp retired nine of the 10 batters he faced in the first three innings, and carried a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run by Marcus Jones in the top of the fourth. But North Carolina took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run single by Kyle Shelton. The Wolfpack tied it in the fifth on an RBI single by Dallas Poulk, the third of his four hits on the game.

Kolarek Pitches Terps Past Clemson, 5-3

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Freshman reliever Adam Kolarek allowed just four baserunners in 4-1/3 shutout innings while the Maryland offense recovered from a three-run deficit as Maryland beat Clemson, 5-3, in an Atlantic Coast Conference baseball game Saturday at Shipley Field.

Kolarek gave up two hits, a walk and hit a batter in pitching from the fourth into the ninth inning. He came into the gave having thrown just six innings in seven appearances, but turned his best outing of the season into his first win as a collegian.

During his time on the mound, Maryland turned a 3-0 deficit into a 5-3 lead. The Terps scored two runs in the fourth and tied the game with one in the fifth. Single runs in the sixth and eighth innings accounted for Maryland's margin of victory. Matt Quinn got the final out to earn his fourth save of the year.

Nick Jowers had a double and single to lead the Terrapins' offense. Maryland took advantage of most of its opportunities, scoring three unearned runs off a pair of Tigers errors and stranding only three baserunners. Jeff Schaus had a pair of doubles for Clemson, which managed seven hits off five Maryland pitchers but left 11 runners on base.