GAINESVILLE, Fla. –At least Georgia Tech won’t have to agonize over what might have been.
Florida, an overpowering team that may have found its stride this weekend, ended the Yellow Jackets’ season Sunday night with a 15-3 thrashing at McKethan Stadium that gave the Gators the NCAA Gainesville regional title and left little doubt of their superiority.
It followed a masterful pitching performance that handcuffed Tech Saturday night in the game that began to steer the four-team, double-elimination regional towards the Gators. The top seed in the tournament, Florida looked every bit the part.
“We gave it everything we had,” Tech coach Danny Hall said. “Just not good enough to compete with those guys.”
In Hall’s 19-year tenure at Tech, only a 29-13 loss to LSU in 1996 rates as a more lopsided NCAA tournament loss.
“It’s a tough way to go out,” said right fielder Brandon Thomas, expected to be selected in the first few rounds of this week’s major league draft.
Thomas was one of three Tech players named to the Gainesville regional all-tournament team, joining third baseman Sam Dove and catcher/designated hitter Zane Evans. Dove is also a candidate for the draft, along with pitchers Buck Farmer and Luke Bard, center fielder Kyle Wren and first baseman Jake Davies.
Florida won with clutch pitching and defense Saturday night and then battered the Jackets silly on Sunday. They took advantage of Davies, Tech’s starting pitcher, and his control problems. Florida used three first-inning walks and a throwing error on a pickoff attempt to help create four runs. In the second, Mike Zunino launched a rocket into the left-field bleachers for a three-run homer, his second home run against Tech in as many nights.
Florida led 7-0 at that point, all but sealing the region for the Gators. They applied the coup de grace in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs and one on, eight consecutive Florida batters reached base (Zunino on a dropped third strike) to score seven runs and inflate the lead to 15-1.
The left-handed Davies, whom Hall had hoped could frustrate the lefty-heavy Gators lineup, didn’t have pop or control. In two innings, he gave up five hits and four walks in surrendering seven runs.
“His fastball was up in the zone the whole day,” Hall said.
Having played in an elimination game earlier in the day – a 3-0 win over College of Charleston in 90-degree heat – didn’t do Tech any favors against Florida pitcher Brian Johnson, who allowed three hits and one run over five innings. Tech had the matchups it sought for the Gators –Farmer, the staff ace, on Saturday followed by Davies – but couldn’t compete.
In giving the Gators the top seed in the tournament, “I would say [the NCAA tournament selection committee] got it absolutely right,” Hall said.
Florida (45-18) advances to its fourth consecutive super regional and will play the winner of Monday's Vanderbilt-N.C. State game. Tech fell at the regional level for the fifth consecutive season.
Sunday’s loss was a deflating finish to a thrilling run in which the Jackets made the ACC tournament field on the final day of the regular season and then became the first No. 8 seed to win the league championship. Tech finishes 38-26, which by winning percentage is Hall’s second lowest for a season. It doesn’t quite tell the story of a team wrecked by injuries to the pitching staff. It says something that Tech pinned its hopes Sunday on Davies, a senior who primarily plays first base and was making his fifth career start.
“Anytime you win an ACC championship and a tournament at that level, that’s a major accomplishment,” Hall said. “I’m very proud of what these guys did and I’m very proud of the way they competed and battled down here.”
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