May 12, 2012
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Georgia Tech brought the tying run to scoring position in the ninth, but No. 22 Virginia dodged the threat and beat the Yellow Jackets, 4-2, Saturday afternoon at Davenport Field in Charlottesville, Va. Zane Evans hit a two-run home run for Tech.
Evans’ two-run shot to left field in the fourth inning – his second homer of the season – gave the visitors a 2-1 lead, but Virginia struck for the game’s final three runs and escaped Tech’s rally attempt in the ninth.
With the series clinched, the Cavaliers improved to 34-14-1 overall and 16-10 in the ACC. Tech slipped to 30-21, 10-16.
Facing closer Justin Thompson, Evans would get the Jackets’ ninth-inning threat started with a lead-off walk, and later with two outs, Thomas Smith and Chase Butler drew back-to-back free passes to load the bases. But Thompson rolled a grounder to second to nail down his second save in as many nights, and 10th of the season.
Sam Dove and Daniel Spingola each had two of the Jackets’ six hits. Spingola, a freshman from Roswell, Ga., is 7-for-11 in the last four games with three-straight two-hit games.
Tech got a gutsy effort from lefty Jake Davies, making his second start this season. The senior matched his career long of 4 2/3 innings, and allowed five hits with four runs and three strikeouts, but was hung the tough-luck decision (0-2).
Sophomore Dusty Isaacs was strong in relief, tossing the final 3 1/3 innings and yielding just one single with two strikeouts.
Virginia’s stingy bullpen was effective after starter Scott Silverstein worked four innings and left with a 2-2 tie. Shane Halley, who fired the fifth to earn the win (9-1), was one of four relievers used by the Cavaliers. In the series, Tech has mustered just five hits and no runs in 10 2/3 innings off UVA relievers.
A sacrifice fly from Stephen Bruno gave Virginia a 1-0 lead in the first, and Kenny Towns tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI double to left. Chris Taylor gave the Cavaliers the lead for good with a run-scoring double and Bruno’s RBI single padded the lead in the fifth.
The series wraps ups Sunday with a 1 p.m. that can be heard live on WREK 91.1 FM in Atlanta.
