FORT MILL, SC (May 20) – Junior Jason Basil went 5-for-5 and freshman Philip Perry tossed seven strong innings as third-ranked Georgia Tech defeated eighth-ranked Florida State, 10-3, in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament at Knights Stadium.
The victory advanced the Yellow Jackets (46-14) into the championship game of the tournament. Tech will face the winner of the Clemson-Virginia contest on Saturday night at 8 p.m. and will have a second chance to win the tournament on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. if necessary.
Florida State (45-15) is eliminated from the tournament.
Perry (4-0) picked up the first win of his career against an ACC opponent. The freshman scattered seven hits and six walks over seven innings while holding the Seminoles to three runs. He recorded two strikeouts while tying his career high of seven innings pitched.
Tech’s Andy Mitchell tossed two scoreless innings to close out the game.
FSU starter Jon McDonald (10-4) took the loss after allowing six runs, only one of which was earned, on eight hits in four innings of work.
The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the third when Jason Perry singled and scored on a error and Bryan Prince blasted a three run homer, his eighth of the season.
The Seminoles answered with three runs in the bottom of that inning to make the score 4-3. Marshall McDougall delivered a RBI single and Karl Jernigan drove in two runs with a single down the third base line.
Tech pushed the lead to 6-3 with two runs in the fifth inning. Prince drove in a run with a bases loaded walk and Basil delivered a RBI single.
The Jackets added two more runs in the seventh on a two run homer from Basil, hit 12th of the season. Brad Stockton provided the final 10-3 margin with a two-run homer in the eighth, his sixth of the year.
Basil finished the game with five hits, including a homer, a double and three singles, and three RBI. Stockton and Perry had three hits, while Prince went 2-for-4 with four RBI.
Georgia Tech’s senior lefthander Ben Sheeter will get the call on Saturday night in the championship game.
