STAFF REPORTS
North Carolina 6 Virginia Tech 5
CARY, N.C. – Sophomore second baseman Kyle Seager’s walk-off sacrifice fly in the 11th inning lifted No. 3 North Carolina to a 6-5 victory over Virginia Tech Saturday at Cary’s USA Baseball National Training Complex. The Tar Heels (13-3, 4-1 ACC) also got seven shutout innings from their bullpen to secure the series victory from the Hokies (7-10, 0-5 ACC).
After leaving the bases loaded in the ninth and stranding two in the 10th, Carolina took advantage of some Virginia Tech miscues to set up Seager’s game-winning RBI opportunity. Sophomore Dustin Ackley drew a one-out walk, advanced to second on a wild pickoff attempt by reliever Rhett Ballard, took third on a wild pitch and scored the game-winner on a fly ball to deep left by Seager, who went 2-for-5 with two RBI on the day.
Miami, Florida 2 NC State 1
RALEIGH, N.C. – Freshman lefty Chris Hernandez turned in another solid pitching performance through 7 1/3 innings for his third win and junior closer Carlos Gutierrez picked up his fourth save as No. 5 Miami clinched the Atlantic Coast Conference series over NC State with a 2-1 win Saturday afternoon at Doak Field. The Hurricanes (13-1, 5-0 ACC) won their eighth straight game and at 13-1 are off to their best start under UM head coach Jim Morris since 1995. Miami went 12-2 in their first 14 games that season.
Hernandez (3-0) held the Wolfpack (9-5, 2-3 ACC) to one run on seven hits and struck out five. Gutierrez came on in the eighth with one out and recorded the final five outs. He allowed one hit in 1 2/3 innings.
Miami (FL) Recap
NC State Recap
Florida State 11 GT 2
Tallahassee, Fla. – Florida State (15-1, 5-0) recorded its fifth straight win over Georgia Tech (13-3, 3-2) with an 11-2 victory in game two of a three game set on Mike Martin Field inside Dick Howser Stadium. Matt Fairel pitched eight innings to earn his fourth victory of the season, while Jason Stidham extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a three-run blast in the eighth.
Fairel was once again in control on the mound in his fourth career start as the sophomore southpaw registered career-highs in innings pitched (8.0) and strikeouts (9). The Winter Haven, Fla., native allowed just four hits in the game and at one point retired 11 straight batters. It wasn’t until two outs in the fourth that the Yellow Jackets picked up their first hit of the ball game. Eight of the nine strikeouts posted by Fairel came in the final four innings as he finished the night striking out the side in the eighth.
Virginia 10 Duke 1
DURHAM, N.C. – Pat McAnaney (Sr., Syracuse, N.Y.) fired his first career complete game and the Virginia baseball team benefited from timely, two-out hitting in earning a 10-1 win over Duke Saturday at Jack Coombs Field.
McAnaney (2-1) gave up just an unearned run, four hits and a walk while striking out eight. After giving up a run in the second inning, McAnaney retired the next 14 hitters until allowing a seventh-inning walk.
“From the start of the game, I thought Pat was in total command,” Virginia head coach Brian O’Connor said. “He showed really great poise after a tough loss yesterday. He executed his pitches and showed poise and if you do that, you are going to have a chance to win.”
Maryland 4 at Wake Forest 4 Top 10 Suspended
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The conclusion of Wake Forest’s ACC baseball game against Maryland has been suspended due to rain until Sunday at 1 p.m. The Demon Deacons and Terrapins are tied 4-4 heading into the top of the 10th inning. The game will be played until completion on Sunday, and the third game of the series will follow.
Wake Forest battled back from a 3-1 deficit to take a 4-3 lead, only to see Maryland tie the game in the eighth. The two teams have went scoreless over the eighth and ninth innings. The Deacs put the leadoff runner on in the eighth but were unable to score. Willy Fox almost gave Wake a walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth, but his drive to rightfield was knocked down by the steady rain just short of the wall.
Wake Forest Recap
Maryland Recap
