GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Alex Cruz's first career start did not begin well. The Georgia Tech pitcher walked Marty Gantt, College of Charleston's dangerous leadoff hitter. The day improved considerably after that, as Cruz kept the Cougars off the scoreboard for six innings, giving the Yellow Jackets a huge lift in their 3-0 win over in the Sunday afternoon elimination game.
"Runs were hard to come by, and the guy next to me just did a tremendous job," Tech coach Danny Hall said, sitting next to Cruz at the post-game news conference.
After coming out of the bullpen for all of his 29 appearances this season, Cruz was tabbed to start against College of Charleston to save starters Jake Davies and Josh Heddinger for Florida. Cruz, a converted infielder who became one of Tech's most valuable players this season, never let a base runner past second base.
His six innings and 79 pitches were both career highs. Cruz began to tire in the sixth inning, but he induced a 4-6-3 double play to snuff a one-out, two-on situation.
"He makes you hit the ball on the ground," said College of Charleston coach Monte Lee of Cruz. "He's got some sink and some deception."
Cruz passed the baton to Zane Evans, who faced just 10 batters over the final three innings for the save. In his last six appearances, Evans has allowed three hits and no runs over 9 2/3 innings with four saves. Evans and Cruz combined for Tech's fifth shutout of the season.
“I was just trying to get after them as much as I could and keep the pitch count down by making them swing the bat, force contact,” Cruz said.
Fortune shines
The Jackets caught two lucky breaks in scoring all three of its runs against the Cougars. With two on and two out in the sixth inning, Evans lofted a routine fly ball to left center field that Hall thought when was an inning-ending out when it left his bat.
However, Gantt lost track of the ball and it landed safely, scoring Brandon Thomas from second to give Tech a 1-0 lead.
The sky had given Tech center fielder Kyle Wren trouble an inning earlier.
“I know Kyle’s probably one of the best trackers out there in the outfield, so I saw if he had a little bit of trouble, then it was definitely really hard to see out there,” Cruz said.
In the top of the ninth, No. 9 hitter Connor Lynch hit a two-run home run after first failing to lay down a sacrifice bunt and then missing a hit-and-run sign. After Hall signaled to advance Thomas Smith from second, Lynch hooked his home run over the left-field fence.
“It just tells you, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” Hall said.
Hall mum
Hall declined to comment on his ejection from Saturday night’s game, saying “it’s over and done with.”
Following Saturday night's game, NCAA assistant game representative Dick Runchey said that Hall was ejected for "personal, verbal abuse." On the play, Florida base runner Nelson Fontana slid into second on a force play that was botched by Tech on a high throw. Fontana began to return to the dugout, apparently believing he was out. By rule, had the play been alive, he would have been ruled out. However, time had been called already. Hall contended that time had been called too early in the play. Florida won 6-2.
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