Baseball ACCtion: Friday, April 4 :: Virginia Tech earns first ACC win; Miami tops Clemson on Alonso's walk-off homer; Florida State, North Carolina, NC State win.

April 5, 2008

O'Brien Homers Three Times, Virginia Tech Tops Maryland 8-7

BLACKSBURG, Va. - When the Hokies took the field against Maryland on Friday, they had zero ACC wins and first baseman Sean O'Brien had zero home runs. Just over two and a half hours later, though, both goose eggs were gone as O'Brien blasted a career-high three round trippers to lead the orange and maroon to a one-run victory over the Terps at English Field.

The redshirt senior went yard in three consecutive at bats - the last two of which gave Tech a lead, including the final 8-7 margin - to tally five RBIs and bump the Hokies (11-18, 1-12 ACC) to their third straight win. It was the first time a Hokie hit three dingers in a game since Brad Bauder tied a school record with four against Georgetown in 2002.

O'Brien (Chappaqua, N.Y.) paced a 12-hit Hokie attack that also saw catcher Anthony Sosnoskie (Front Royal, Va.) and right fielder Klint Reed (Chesterfield, Va.) collect two hits apiece. Sophomore Josh Wymer (3-4, Fort Worth, Texas) picked up the win for Tech in his first relief appearance, throwing 2.2 innings of three-hit ball while allowing two runs and striking out a pair. Freshman Justin Wright (Chesterfield, Va.) retired the final batter to pick up his first save after earning his first victory on Tuesday.

Alonso Hits Walk-Off Homer as No. 2 Miami Wins, 6-4

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Junior first baseman Yonder Alonso belted a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth as No. 2 Miami defeated Clemson, 6-4, Friday night to extend its winning streak to 11 games and take game one of the Atlantic Coast Conference series in front of another capacity crowd of 3,000 at Mark Light Field. The win made it the best start ever by a Miami coached Jim Morris team as UM improved to 24-2 and 10-1 in the ACC.

Alonso's only hit of the night came with one out after a Ryan Jackson single. He sent a towering blast over the right field fence for his sixth homer of the season. Jackson led Miami going 2-for-5 with the game-winning run. Junior center Blake Tekotte finished 1-for-4 with a three-run home run. But it was the Hurricanes' pitching that kept them in the game.

Freshman lefty Chris Hernandez and sophomore right-hander Kyle Bellamy combined for 16 strikeouts, which was a season-high by the UM pitching staff. Hernandez struck out a career-high 11 batters in earning the no decision for the Hurricanes.

White Pitches No. 3 Tar Heels Past No. 14 Georgia Tech

CARY, N.C. - North Carolina right-hander Alex White held No. 14 Georgia Tech to five hits over seven shutout innings, and shortstop Garrett Gore matched a season high with three RBI to pace the No. 3 Tar Heels to an 8-1 win Friday at Cary's USA Baseball National Training Complex. Carolina (24-5, 9-3 ACC) scored five times in the sixth inning to break open the contest and snap a seven-game winning streak for the Yellow Jackets (24-6, 8-5 ACC).

White, who fanned eight and walked just one, improved to 5-2 with his second straight victory. He struck out the side in the seventh before relievers Rob Catapano and Rob Wooten combined for five Ks over the final two innings to give the Carolina pitching staff its third straight game with at least 13 strikeouts.

Tech lefty David Duncan (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season after allowing six runs on nine hits and five walks over 5 2/3 innings.

Gore, who was 2-for-5 with an RBI single in the third and a two-run double in the sixth, was one of four Tar Heels with two hits on the night.

Florida State Takes Game One With 10-3 Victory Over Virginia

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State (26-3, 12-1) defeated Virginia (24-7, 8-5) 10-3 under the lights at Dick Howser Stadium Friday night in front of 5,722 fans handing the Cavaliers their worst ACC loss of the season. The Seminoles pounded out 17 hits and got another quality start from sophomore Matt Fairel to take game one of a three-game set in the first regular season match-up between the two schools since 2005.

Tony Delmonico recorded a hit in his first four at-bats tying a season-high with four hits, while Buster Posey was a double short of hitting for the cycle finishing the evening 3-for-4 with a triple, a home run and two RBIs.

Fairel (7-0) remained perfect on the year as the sophomore southpaw won his seventh decision in as many starts in 2008. After giving up a two-run homer in the top of the first, Fairel settled down and allowed just four hits the rest of the way. He finished the game with seven strikeouts and three base-on-balls.

NC State Handles Wake Forest in Series Opener, 7-2

RALEIGH, N.C. - A superb effort from Clayton Shunick, coupled with nine hits peppered in by the Wolfpack offense, led NC State past Wake Forest, 7-2, at Doak Field at Dail Park on Friday, April 4. The win moves the Pack to 18-9 (6-6 ACC) on the year, while the Demon Deacons fall to 12-16 (5-7 ACC).

Shunick (3-3) carved out a gem on the hill for State, fanning a career-high 12 batters in 7.2 innings of work and allowing just four hits and one run en route to the decision. His 12 K's during the game mark a season-high among all Wolfpack hurlers.

Garrett Bullock (3-2) took the loss for WFU, surrendering six hits and five runs, four of which were earned, in six innings.

Bullock got into trouble early, giving up three runs on three hits to State in the bottom of the first. Devon Cartwright set the table with a leadoff double that stayed just inside the third base line, and Bullock issued a free pass to Ryan Pond.