Baseball ACCtion: Saturday, May 10 :: Four of five series decided on Saturday.

May 10, 2008

Tech Drops Clemson, 7-1, Behind Burns' Strong Pitching Performance

ATLANTA - Eddie Burns held Clemson scoreless through the first seven innings to guide No. 25 Georgia Tech (36-14, 14-12 ACC) to a 7-1 win over the Tigers (25-25-1) Saturday night at Russ Chandler Stadium. With the victory, Tech earned its sixth-straight home series win over Clemson, dating back to the 1998 season.

Burns (6-4) gave up just one run and worked a season-long eight innings to earn his sixth win of the season. The right-hander also struck out three and walked none before the Tigers scratched for a run on a in the top of the eighth inning. Brad Rulon closed out the game by tossing the ninth against the Tigers.

Luke Murton went 2-for-4 with two RBI to lead the Yellow Jacket offense on the night. Tony Plagman and Jason Haniger added two hits apiece while Jeff Rowland had two RBI against the Tigers.

Chris House led off the third inning with a single, moved to second on Haniger's sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI single by Rowland to give the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 lead in the game.

Wooten, No. 2 Tar Heels Shut Down No. 24 Virginia, 5-2

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Right-hander Rob Wooten struck out a career-high seven batters and allowed just one hit over a career-long 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief in a 5-2 win by No. 2 North Carolina over No. 24 Virginia Saturday at Davenport Field. The Tar Heels (42-8, 20-5 ACC) held the Cavaliers (33-17, 13-13 ACC) to just five hits and struck out 13 UVa batters on the night.

After Carolina got a solid start from right-hander Adam Warren, Wooten (4-1) came on with runners on second and third with just one out in the fifth inning and fanned Jeremy Farrell and Phil Gosselin on seven pitches to end the threat and preserve the three-run advantage. The Fremont, N.C., product cruised from there, allowing only two base runners and holding Virginia hitless until the ninth.

Warren struck out six over 4 1/3 and allowed just one earned run on four hits and four walks.

Left fielder Kyle Shelton homered and tripled, and second baseman Kyle Seager added a double, a triple and scored two runs to pace the UNC offense. Catcher Tim Federowicz added a game-high two RBI.

With his team-best 24th double of the season in the fourth inning, Seager moved into a tie for second on the UNC single-season list. Both Seager and Shelton tripled for the fifth time to reach a tie for seventh place on the single-season chart.

Charlie Mellies' Complete Game Sends Wake Forest to 3-1 Defeat of Duke

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - On a day that saw Wake Forest honor the legendary Dr. Gene Hooks, as well as its 10 graduating seniors, Demon Deacon starter Charlie Mellies turned in a performance fitting for the occasion. Mellies pitched a complete game to lead Wake Forest to a 3-1 defeat of Duke Saturday afternoon at Hooks Stadium.

With all of the hoopla surrounding the game, it was only fitting that the Deacons go out in style. Mellies made sure they did just that. The senior righthander pitched the first complete game by a Wake hurler since he accomplished the feat almost two years ago. His complete game shutout of then-No. 1 Florida on Feb. 26, 2006, was the last time Wake Forest had a starter go the distance.

On Saturday, Mellies allowed just one run on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Duke's four hits on the day were all singles. After allowing the Blue Devils to score a run on a two-out rally in the second, Mellies did not let another runner reach scoring position. A runner reached base in each the fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth and ninth innings, but Mellies held them each at first base every time.

Hokies stun top-ranked Miami behind complete game from Wright

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Hokie freshman Justin Wright tied a career high with seven strikeouts while throwing a complete game to help the Virginia Tech baseball team stun top-ranked Miami on Saturday, 7-6, in the opening game of an ACC doubleheader at English Field.

Fellow rookie Austin Wates (Richmond, Va.) doubled in the deciding run with two outs in the eighth as the Hokies rallied from a 5-1 deficit to earn the win and move Wright to 3-0 on the season. Making just his fifth start of the season, the 5-foot-9 lefty allowed nine hits and four walks, but stayed away from the big inning and tossed a career-high 132 pitches to go the distance.

Game one was tied at 6-6 when Miami reliever Carlos Gutierrez walked Tech shortstop Matt Hacker (Richmond, Va.) with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. After Hacker moved to second on a wild pitch, Gutierrez issued first baseman Sean O'Brien (Chappaqua, N.Y.) an intentional walk. Wates, who was 1-for-4 in the game, ran the count to 1-2 before smacking his 10th double of the season to right center, plating Hacker.

The win marked the second time in the past three years that Tech has knocked off a No. 1-ranked opponent, as the Hokies also defeated top-ranked Florida State in 2006.

No. 1 Hurricanes Clinch Series at Virginia Tech, 9-2

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Senior right-hander Enrique Garcia tossed eight strong innings and sophomores Mark Sobolewski and Ryan Jackson each collected three hits as No. 1 Miami clinched its 12th straight weekend series with a 9-2 win over Virginia Tech in the second game of a doubleheader at English Field Saturday afternoon. Dennis Raben went 2-for-4 with a team-high four RBI and a towering three-run home run which put UM ahead for good in the first inning.

Garcia (5-1) scattered four hits and gave up just two runs. He tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings and retired 20 of the first 21 batters he faced. He one-hit the Hokies through the first 7 1/3 innings. Sophomore reliever Kyle Bellamy pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Hurricanes.

Sobolewski drove in three runs in going 3-for-5 with his sixth home run. Jackson finished 3-for-5. Yonder Alonso added to Miami's 15 hits as he went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.

Maryland Baseball Splits Doubleheader With No. 17 NC State

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland baseball team split its Saturday doubleheader against No. 17 North Carolina State, winning the first game to clinch a winning record for the first time since the 2002 season.

Senior Kevin Biringer (Albuquerque, N.M./Bradley University) had a career day in the final start of his collegiate career, pitching a career-high eight innings and limiting the Wolfpack (34-16, 16-9 ACC) to two runs in a 6-2 Maryland (29-25, 9-20 ACC) victory.

Unfortunately, NC State put up seven runs in the top of the first inning of the second game and cruised to a 12-1 win, eliminating the Terps from ACC Tournament contention.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning of game one, the Terps put together four straight hits with two outs to plate two runs and take the lead.

First baseman Will Greenberg (Gaithersburg, Md./Washington College) singled to right field, scoring Jensen Pupa (Germantown, Md./Northwest) on the play. Right fielder Matt Payne made a good throw home, but Pupa executed a perfect hook slide to avoid the tag and tie the game.

No. 17 NC State Baseball Splits With Maryland Behind Buchanan Gem

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Freshman righthander Jake Buchanan tossed a complete-game five-hitter and Jeremy Synan and Nick Stanley belted three-run home runs Saturday as NC State won the second game of a doubleheader with Maryland by a 12-1 score to split a twin-bill with the Terps. Maryland took the opening game 6-2 behind the eight-hit pitching of Kevin Biringer.

The split decision leaves the Wolfpack at 34-16 overall and 16-9 in the ACC, and looking to win the series from the Terrapins, who fell to 29-25 and 9-20. A series win would keep NC State's hopes alive of hosting an NCAA regional the weekend of May 31-June 3. The Wolfpack, which entered the weekend at No. 12 in the country in the NCAA's RPI rankings, has lost three of its last six games, to High Point, UNC Wilmington and Maryland, but stands a solid fourth in the ACC's overall standings. The ACC is easily the top-rated conference in the country.

NC State took out its frustrations in the first inning of the second game, hammering Maryland starter Brett Jones (1-1) for seven runs on three hits and four walks in two-thirds of an inning. Synan got the inning rolling with a three-run homer to center field, and Jones followed with a double into the right-field corner, the first of four hits in the game for the Washington, D.C., native. An RBI single by Stanley and walks to Russell Wilson and Foschi loaded the bases and drove Brett Jones to the showers. Reliever Adam Kolarek came in and promptly served up a three-run double to Devon Cartwright for the 7-0 lead.

Florida State Cruises To 19-2 Victory Over Savannah State

Tallahassee, Fla. - Third-ranked Florida State (42-8) defeated Savannah State (20-23) 19-2 in game two of a four-game set Saturday evening on Mike Martin Field inside Dick Howser Stadium. The Seminoles pounded out 18 hits reaching double-digits for the sixth straight game and for the 39th time this season. The Garnet and Gold batted around in back-to-back innings in the second and third en route to a combined 16 runs in a game called after seven innings due to the run-rule.

Florida State recorded seven extra base hits including three home runs to run the team season total to 75 on the year. Dennis Guinn connected on a two-run shot in the second, his 15th of the year, tying him with Buster Posey for the team lead. Tony Delmonico and Ohmed Danesh were responsible for the other two home runs in the game. It marked the 20th time this season the Garnet and Gold hit multiple home runs in a game.

Guinn and Delmonico hit back-to-back home runs in the second marking the fifth time this year that a pair of Florida State batters have hit home runs in consecutive at-bats. Both round trippers came with two outs in the second as Guinn's was a two-run shot to right center while Delmonico's was a solo shot over the wall in left center.