Baseball ACCtion: Saturday, April 12
Saturday slate includes eight games.



April 13, 2008

Georgia Tech Baseball Pays Tribute To Michael Hutts

No. 1 Miami Takes Game One against No. 10 Georgia Tech, 10-5

ATLANTA, Ga. - Freshman lefty Chris Hernandez won for the fifth time and five different Hurricanes collected at least three hits as No. 1 Miami defeated No. 10 Georgia Tech, 10-5, in game one of the doubleheader in the Atlantic Coast Conference series at Russ Chandler Stadium. Miami (28-3, 13-1 ACC) matched a season-high with 17 hits in the contest.

Hernandez (5-0) tossed six innings and allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out three. P.J. Fisher and Kyle Bellamy combined to throw the final three innings. Junior left fielder Dave DiNatale ended up 3-for-5 with two RBI. Blake Tekotte, Jemile Weeks, Ryan Jackson and Jason Hagerty also each had three hits.

Georgia Tech starter David Duncan (4-2) threw five innings and gave up four runs on eight hits and recorded four strikeouts. Designated hitter Luke Murton led the Yellow Jackets (26-8, 9-7 ACC) going 3-for-5 with two RBI.

Georgia Tech used a three-run fifth inning to pull within, 4-3, but Miami tacked on three more runs in the top of the seventh inning to go ahead, 7-3. Tekotte scored on a wild pitch and Mark Sobolewski's RBI single scored Weeks to make it, 6-3. Jackson's RBI base-hit gave the Canes a 7-3 lead.

Tekotte, No. 1 UM Knock Off No. 10 Georgia Tech, 15-5

ATLANTA, Ga. - Junior centerfielder Blake Tekotte homered twice and recorded 12 total bases while going a career-best 4-for-4 with four runs scored and seven RBI as No. 1 Miami clinched the series at No. 10 Georgia Tech, 15-5, Saturday night in game two of the doubleheader at Russ Chandler Stadium. Senior right-hander Enrique Garcia picked up his second win for the Hurricanes (29-3, 14-1 ACC), who scored 25 runs in two games on Saturday.

Tekotte fell a double-shy of hitting for the cycle. Jemile Weeks, Mark Sobolewski and Jason Hagerty each had two hits in the contest. Sobolewski homered for the third time this season. Garcia (2-0) pitched seven solid innings as he allowed three runs on eight hits. Rene Guerra and Carlos Gutierrez each threw one inning.

Miami chased Georgia Tech starter Eddie Burns after two innings in which he surrendered eight runs, six earned, on five hits, walked two and hit another three batters. Brandon Cumpton threw six innings in relief holding the Hurricanes to three earned runs on eight hits. Right fielder Charlie Blackmon went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs for the Yellow Jackets.

No. 4 Tar Heels Close Out Clemson, 8-2

CLEMSON, S.C. - After lightning and heavy rains forced a suspension of play Friday night, No. 4 North Carolina scored three times over the final three innings to close out an 8-2 win at Clemson Saturday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Tar Heels (27-7, 11-4 ACC) and Tigers (18-15, 6-10 ACC) are scheduled to play game two at 5:40 p.m.

Before play was suspended at 9:32 p.m. Friday, right-hander Alex White (6-2) held Clemson scoreless over 5 2/3 innings and kept the Tigers without a hit until Mike Freeman legged out an infield single with two out in the fifth. White allowed just the one hit and struck out six but also issued a season high-tying five walks. The win was his sixth of the season, which already matches his 2007 total.

First baseman Dustin Ackley had the big swing of the bat for the Tar Heels, a three-run home run in the sixth to break open a two-run game, but leftfielder Kyle Shelton was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Centerfielder Seth Williams and second baseman Kyle Seager each had two hits and an RBI, while designated hitter Mark Fleury reached base five times on two singles and three walks.

When play resumed in the seventh Saturday, UNC added a run to its lead in the eighth when Shelton doubled to center and scored on a bases-loaded walk to Seager. But the Tigers, who had just two hits in the game through seven, scratched out three hits in the eighth to trim the lead to 6-2. Catcher Doug Hogan and leftfielder Jeff Schaus had RBI base hits in the two-run Tiger rally.

Seager Slugs No. 4 UNC To First Series Win At Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C. - Second baseman Kyle Seager homered twice and drove in a career-best four runs to lead No. 4 North Carolina to a 4-3 win and its first-ever three-game series victory at Clemson Saturday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Tar Heels (28-7, 12-4 ACC) got five scoreless innings from their bullpen and overcame three errors to hold on for the one-run victory.

After closing out an 8-2 win in a rain-suspended game one earlier Saturday, Carolina rode a three-run shot from Seager in the first and a solo blast in the fifth to the win. The ACC's leader with 45 RBI, Seager recorded his second career multi-homer game. The Kannapolis native, who was one of four Tar Heels with two hits on the day, also connected on a pair of homers Feb. 23 at Florida Atlantic.

While Seager provided all the offense Carolina needed, it was the bullpen that kept the Tigers (18-16, 6-11 ACC) off the scoreboard over the final five innings. Reliever Rob Catapano (2-0) came on for starter Adam Warren in the fourth and allowed just one hit over 1 1/3 innings to pick up his third career victory. Right-hander Colin Bates fanned four over 2 2/3 innings, and Tim Federowicz and lefty Brian Moran picked up the final three outs in the ninth to nail down the victory.

No. 24 Virginia Notches 5-4 Win Saturday at Maryland

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Jeremy Farrell's three-run home run in the fifth inning brought the Virginia baseball team back from an early deficit to a 5-4 victory over Maryland Saturday at Shipley Field. Pat McAnaney (Sr., Syracuse, N.Y.), Matt Packer (So., Germantown, Tenn.) and Michael Schwimer (Sr., Alexandria, Va.) combined to scatter five hits and strike out a dozen in the win - Virginia's 17th straight in the series with Maryland, dating to 2002.

Tyler Cannon (So., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) had three hits for Virginia, while David Adams (Jr., Margate, Fla.) posted two hits and two RBI.

McAnaney (4-1) pitched into the eighth and went seven innings, allowing four earned runs, four hits and two walks while striking out nine. After giving up three hits and three runs in the second inning, McAnaney allowed just four more batters to reach base over the next five-plus innings. Schwimer then pitched a perfect ninth to earn his ACC-best 10th save of the season.

Maryland reliever Ian Schwalenberg (1-2) took the loss after giving up the Farrell homer. He pitched 3.1 innings and allowed three runs and four hits. Terrapin starter Mike Sufczynski, making his second start, went 2.1 innings and gave up two runs (one earned), four hits and three walks while fanning three.

NC State Baseball Rebounds, Pounds Duke 8-1

RALEIGH, N.C. - One night after laying an egg in the series opener against Duke, NC State returned to its offensive ways of late and clubbed 14 hits, including four home runs, and defeated the Blue Devils 8-1 on Saturday at Doak Field at Dail Park.

The win by the Pack evened the three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series between the Wolfpack and Blue Devils at a game apiece. NC State improved to 22-11 overall and 9-7 in the ACC. Duke fell to 23-11 and 5-11. The final game of the series is scheduled for Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

Wolfpack starter Eric Surkamp (3-2) got the win, pitching six strong innings despite a shaky start. Duke dinged Surkamp for a run on two hits in the top of the first inning on back-to-back doubles by Alex Hassan and Matt Williams. Jonathan Nicolla led off the top of the second with a double, and the Duke offense went silent the rest of the night. Surkamp retired 13 of the final 18 men he faced. One of the five men who reached did so on an error, not Surkamp's fault. Two others were erased when Surkamp rolled double-play grounders in the third and sixth innings. Surkamp wound up allowing just the one run on seven hits. He struck out four without issuing a walk.

Big bats carry Hokies to 13-4 win over Wake

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Three home runs and 16 hits lifted the Virginia Tech baseball team to an emphatic 13-4 win over Wake Forest at Hooks Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the second contest of a three-game ACC series.

It was the third three-home run game in the past nine for Tech, which has now won four in a row and seven of its past nine. The 13 runs tied for the most the Hokies (15-20, 3-14 ACC) have ever scored in an ACC game (they also tallied 13 against Maryland in 2005) and the four-game winning streak is the second longest of the season after a six-game stretch from February 27th through March 5th.

Second baseman Austin Wates (Richmond, Va.) and shortstop Tony Balisteri (Lexington, Va.) were just two of the many offensive stars in what proved to be Tech's largest margin of victory ever in an ACC game. Balisteri had a career-high three hits to go with two runs and two RBI - including his first collegiate home run - and was just a triple shy of the cycle. Wates, however, did record a triple as part of his three-hit, three-RBI performance.

Catcher Anthony Sosnoskie (Front Royal, Va.) and third baseman Michael Seaborn (Atlanta, Ga.) also hit home runs for Tech, and left fielder Travis Willson recorded his first hit as a Hokie - a pinch-hit single in the top of the ninth.

FSU Completes Sweep Of Boston College With 17-2 Victory

Chestnut Hill, Mass. - Top-ranked Florida State (31-3, 17-1) pounded out 17 hits in the series finale against Boston College (18-17, 5-13) as the Seminoles defeated the Eagles 17-2 to complete the three-game sweep. The win moves FSU to 17-1 in the ACC tying the school record for the best start in league play set back in 1996.

Tommy Oravetz and Tony Delmonico paced the Seminole offense in game three as both student-athletes registered a pair of hits and drove in four runs. Oravetz set a career-high in RBIs with four surpassing his previous high of three set back on April 28, 2006 against Savannah State. The junior designated hitter went 2-for-6 with a home run and a double as 15 of his 26 hits in 2008 have gone for extra bases. Delmonico was 2-for-5 at the plate with a single and his first career grand slam.

Jack Rye recorded three hits and three RBIs on Saturday afternoon, while Tyler Holt, Buster Posey and Stuart Tapley each registered two hits. Tapley led all players in game three with three runs scored.

Seminole starter Elih Villanueva shutout the Eagles over six innings of work as the junior right hander gave up just five hits to run his record to 4-0 on the year. The Miami, Fla., native struck out eight and walked just two as he threw just 87 pitches. It marked the first time in eight starts that Villanueva did not allow a run.