Athens — Nick Montgomery, a midweek pitcher who has rarely found the mound let alone the spotlight in the past few years, stepped up to the former and basked in the latter Sunday.

The Georgia pitcher accomplished the improbable and his team continued to do the very same. Montgomery pitched a complete-game shutout Sunday against Georgia Tech as Georgia staved off elimination, 8-0 in front of 2,929 fans at Foley Field.

Georgia is now 14 of 14 in elimination games at Foley Field including the 14-3 win earlier Sunday against Lipscomb. Georgia and Tech will face each other again at 7 p.m. Monday at Foley Field for the right to advance to the Super Regionals.

"I just hope Nick Montgomery can't pitch tomorrow," said Tech coach Danny Hall.

The thing is, Montgomery hasn't been able to pitch consistently until this year. The fifth-year senior has been through Tommy John surgery (2006) and a life-threatening blood clot in his pitching arm in 2007.

"I didn't think I was going to play after that," Montgomery said of the blood clot.

He didn't know if he was going to live after that. Warming up on the field before the Florida series on March 30, 2007, Montgomery's arm started to swell. He was rushed to Athens Regional Hospital and spent the next several months wondering about his career.

He spent Sunday night affirming that his career has never been in better shape.

"I couldn't really explain this game," Montgomery said.

Tech couldn't figure him out either. The Yellow Jackets had four hits. At one point, Montgomery retired 17 straight batters.

"He wasn't throwing over the plate," said Tech's Charlie Blackmon, who had two of the four hits. "He was throwing it over the corners and we weren't putting good swings on it. I felt like we could have been more competitive tonight, but he did throw well."

Well enough to post Georgia's first shutout against Tech since 1969 or 126 games. It was the first time Tech has been shutout in the NCAA Tournament since 1988 or 79 games.

All from a pitcher who hadn't thrown a complete game since, well, since he could remember.

"I think I threw one or two my freshman year at (junior college)," Montgomery said.

After the seventh, there was little question Montgomery was going to get a chance against Tech. Georgia's offense had staked the senior to an 8-0 lead. Matt Olson, Matt Cerione and Rich Poythress all had two-run homers. Poyhtress' shot punctuated a three-run seventh and allowed Georgia coach David Perno to start considering saving his bullpen.

"I didn't know I was going to do it," Montgomery said of going for the shutout. "[My teammates] were talking me to more and more from the seventh inning on. All the infielders were saying, 'We got your back, just throw strikes.'"

Montgomery did just that as he struck out nine batters. At one point midway through the game, he struck out three or four. Montgomery had never stuck out more than five batters in his career.

"We hope he gets another start," said Perno, alluding to an extended run in the NCAA Tournament. "I would like to see him get out there. He has vaulted himself into one of those first three starter positions."

In one of those three positions and starting in the first game Sunday was Nathan Moreau. He too did exactly what Georgia needed by going extended innings and getting the win. Moreau went seven innings in a 14-3 win over Lipscomb.

"It's our team," Moreau said. "For some reason, we play great in elimination games and when our backs are against the wall."

Georgia will be back up against the wall Monday. But Georgia Tech will be in the same position. Whatever happens, this will be the fourth time this decade one of the teams has knocked the other out of the NCAA Tournament.