Georgia Tech’s Zane Evans had three hits, and Kyle Wren tripled and scored, but Virginia hit three home runs en route to an 8-2 victory over the Yellow Jackets on Thursday at the ACC tournament.
Each team is now 1-1 in pool play.
Third-seeded Virginia (46-10) bounced back from Wednesday’s loss to sixth-seeded Virginia Tech to remain alive in Pool B. Seventh-seeded Georgia Tech (34-24), who defeated second-seeded Florida State on Wednesday, must defeat sixth-seeded Virginia Tech at 3 p.m. Friday to remain in the tournament. The Jackets would advance to Sunday’s ACC title game with a win over the Hokies combined with an FSU victory over Virginia at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Tech’s only real threat came in the first inning. The Jackets took a 1-0 lead when leadoff hitter Kyle Wren lined a triple to right-center field and scored on a single by No. 2 hitter Brandon Thomas, but the Jackets blew a chance to put together a big inning when Thomas was thrown out by left fielder Mike Papi as he tried to stretch his hit into a double. Designated hitter Zane Evans bounced the next pitch off the short-distance wall in left field for a single, but was erased on a double play.
“I think Brandon Thomas getting thrown out at second was a very pivotal play,” Tech coach Danny Hall said. “That turned (around) what could have been a big first inning against a guy who has pitched really well against us this year.”
Virginia starter Scott Silverstein (9-1) showed his poise in minimizing the early damage, and he got a boost from two more double plays turned by the Cavaliers. A 3-6-1 twin killing erased Thomas Smith’s leadoff single in the fifth, and Daniel Palka lined into a double play at first base after Evans led off the sixth with a single.
“I thought the two double plays we hit into were two critical moments,” Hall said. “We had leadoff hitters on in two consecutive innings and banged into double plays. We then gave up some home runs, and there’s no defense when you give home runs up.”
Evans finished the day 3-for-4, extending his hitting streak to seven games. Wren was 2-for-4, and Smith had two hits, including a double that caromed off the wall in left.
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