April 25, 2010
ATLANTA – No. 3 Georgia Tech (34-7, 16-5 ACC) belted four home runs, and held off a late rally by No. 20 Virginia Tech (28-14, 11-10 ACC) for a 14-12 win in the series finale Sunday at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The Hokies, however, clinched the series with a 10-3 win earlier in the day in the resumption of Saturday’s suspended game.
“I’m proud of the way our guys hung in there,” head coach Danny Hall said. “Virginia Tech is a very good team. It looked like we had it under control and then they scored a bunch of runs, right after we scored a bunch. I think anytime you win in the league, you have to be happy about it. We beat a good team in our last game of the series.”
Chase Burnette (12), Derek Dietrich (14), Cole Leonida (9) and Matt Skole (13) all homered in the game to give the Jackets 90 overall on the year. The Jackets had 13 hits in the win, after a total of 12 combined in the previous two games.
Dietrich was 2-for-2 with three runs and three RBI to close out the series. The Parma, Ohio native reached base five times in the game.
Junior left-hander Jed Bradley (6-2) allowed just three runs on six hits in 6.0 innings Sunday, striking out six in the process. He picked up his sixth win of the season.
“I think he’s had two good outings in a row and gave us a good chance to win,” said Hall of Bradley. “I’m very proud of the way he’s pitched the last two times out.”
Leonida broke a 2-2 tie in the third inning with a two-run homer to center field off of Virginia Tech right-hander Marc Zecchino. Zecchino (0-1) recorded his first loss of the season after allowing the two runs in 2.1 innings.
The Jackets extended their lead to 13-3 with six runs on four hits in the seventh, all coming on doubles. Tony Plagman drove in three of them with a two-bagger to the wall in left field to cap the scoring in the inning.
The Hokies attempted a strong rally with seven runs in the eighth (three coming on a pinch-hit home run by Anthony Sosnoskie) and two in the ninth, but freshman Luke Bard was able to close the game on the mound to help the Jackets avoid the sweep. Bard registered his second save of the season.
Mathew Price scattered two runs on six hits in 7.0 innings to give Virginia Tech a 10-3 win and series clinch over Georgia Tech in game two of the series earlier on Sunday.
Price fanned eight batters in the outing and improved to 5-3 on the season with the win. Georgia Tech’s Brandon Cumpton (6-1) was credited with his first loss of the season after allowing six runs – three earned – on four hits in 4.0 innings.
Chase Burnette went 2-for-4 to lead Georgia Tech at the plate, but the Jackets had just seven total hits as they lost consecutive games for the first time this season
Almost 24 hours after Saturday’s game was suspended due to severe weather, game two picked up in the bottom of the fourth with Virginia Tech on top 6-0.
Freshman Buck Farmer relieved Cumpton to begin Sunday, and was hit for four runs in 5.0 innings.
The Hokies added three runs in the sixth, two coming on a single to left field by Michael Seaborn to extend the lead to 9-0.
The Jackets finally broke through on the scoreboard for two runs in the bottom half. Plagman brought one home on a sac fly to center and Leonida drove in the second with a grounder to short.
VT’s Joe Mantiply was able to hold Georgia Tech to just one run on one hit in the final 2.0 innings to end the game.
The Jackets return to action Tuesday, as they take on Georgia at 7 p.m. in the annual “Spring Classic for Kids” at Turner Field. The game will be televised live on Sports South.
