Hokies score winning run in 8th, edge Tigers |
There will be no ACC Baseball Championship for the Clemson Tigers in 2010. The 18th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies made sure of that, getting a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning that scored the go-ahead run as they defeated the 16th-ranked Tigers 9-8 in front of 3,419 fans at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro Friday afternoon. After falling to N.C. State on Wednesday, the Tigers needed to pick up wins in their next two games in order to have a shot at playing in Sunday’s Championship Game, but now will instead face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday in their tournament finale, then head home to await Sunday’s announcement of where they will play in the NCAA Regionals that start next week. The Hokies, who improved to 2-0 in the ACC Tournament, improved to 38-19 overall. The Tigers, who dropped to 0-2 in ACC Tourney play, fell to 37-21 on the season. It was the first-ever meeting between the two teams in the ACC Tournament. The Hokies grabbed a quick 5-0 lead in the first inning, but Clemson clawed back to take a 6-5 lead with a four-run fourth inning. The two teams traded runs before Clemson tied the score 8-8 in the top of the eighth inning, but Sean Ryan’s clutch hit in the bottom of the eighth proved to be the difference. Kevin Kyle (0-1), the third of four Clemson pitchers, suffered the loss. He yielded a double and run in 0.1 innings pitched. After the Hokies grabbed that 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first, Clemson’s Kyle Parker reached on a fielding error by third baseman Brent Zimmerman, and Brad Miller followed that with a two-run homer to right-center, his seventh of the season. Jeff Schaus reached on a fielding error to lead off the top of the fourth inning and Parker walked. Miller lofted a deep drive to right-center, but the wind helped keep the ball in the park and Schaus advanced to third base on the flyout. John Hinson followed with a single to right field to score Schaus. Richie Shaffer then belted a 1-2 pitch down the left-field line for a double to score Parker and Hinson, then Shaffer advanced to third when the throw to the plate was errant. John Nester reached on another fielding error by Zimmerman at third that allowed Shaffer to score the go-ahead run and Clemson led 6-5. The Hokies tied the score in the bottom of the frame, and the Hokies regained the lead in the fifth inning. Andrew Rash, who scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth, doubled Virginia Tech's lead when he led off the sixth inning with a long solo homer to left field, his fifth home run of the year. Schaus cut Virginia Tech's lead in half when he hit a towering solo home run to right field in the seventh inning for his 15th homer, and In the top of the eighth inning, Miller led off with a walk on four pitches. Two batters later, Shaffer lined a one-out double down the right-field line to advance Miller to third. Pinch-hitter Chris Epps grounded out to shortstop, allowing Miller to score the tying run. However, the Hokies regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. Rash grounded a one-out double over the third-base bag. Two batters later, Ryan laced a two-out single up the middle to score Rash. In the ninth inning, Mike Freeman hit a one-out single through the left side on a 3-2 pitch after fouling off five straight 1-2 pitches. Schaus grounded out to advance Freeman to second with two outs, then Parker ripped a ball between first and second base. However, Shaban made a nice stop and raced to first for the game-ending out. Schaus and Shaffer had two hits apiece for Clemson. Both of Shaffer's hits were doubles, while Schuas, Parker, and Miller scored two runs apiece. Clemson swept the Hokies in a three-game series in Tigertown earlier in the season, but it fell to 8-14 in games decided by two runs or less in 2010. The Tigers also scored at least eight runs for the sixth game in a row. Game 9 of ACC Baseball Championship Postponed Until 10 a.m. Saturday NC State and Georgia Tech to play the first of four games at NewBridge Bank Park GREENSBORO, NC – Game 9 of the ACC Baseball Championship was halted by rain in the first inning on Friday night and will resume at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Greensboro’s NewBridge Bank Park. The game will resume in the bottom of the first inning with third-seeded Georgia Tech holding a 2-0 lead over seventh-seeded NC State. Saturday’s three regularly-scheduled games will follow the completion of Game 9. Fourth-seeded Miami will face top-seeded Virginia in the second game of the day, which will begin approximately 45 minutes after the completion of Game 9. Game 11 between second-seeded Clemson and Georgia Tech will begin 45 minutes after the completion of Game 10. NC State gets back into action in the final game of the day, facing sixth-seeded Virginia Tech in Game 12, approximately 45 minutes following completion of the Clemson-Georgia Tech contest. The championship game is still scheduled for Sunday at 1 pm. Fans holding tickets from Game 9 can re-enter NewBridge Bank Park upon presentation of their ticket stubs on Saturday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. All four of Saturday’s game will be televised throughout the ACC footprint by the Regional Sports Network and carried on satellite radio via XM 190/Sirius 215. Check schedules on TheACC.com for television or radio broadcast information in your area. ACC Baseball Championship Schedule Game 9 – Georgia Tech vs. NC State, 10 a.m. Game 10 – Virginia vs. Miami, 45 minutes following Game 9 Game 11 – Clemson vs. Georgia Tech, 45 minutes following completion of Game 10 Game 12 – Virginia Tech vs. NC State, 45 minutes following completion of Game 11 Championship – Sunday, 1 p.m.
Clemson 8 (37-21)
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