April 9, 2010
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 4 Virginia (26-6, 9-4 ACC) scored four runs in the seventh inning, highlighted by a two-run homer by Dan Grovatt to rally for a 7-4 win over the second-ranked Georgia Tech baseball team (26-4, 11-2 ACC) Friday night in front of a record crowd of 4,155 at Davenport Field.
With the win, the Cavaliers handed Tech just its second loss in conference play this season.
“It wasn’t one of our best efforts, in terms of the way we went at it offensively and the way we pitched,” head coach Danny Hall said. “When you do that against a very good team like Virginia, you are going to get beat. I thought we had a good chance to win the game, but we just didn’t do enough good things to win. We have to come out tomorrow and do better in all phases.”
Grovatt, along with Tyler Cannon and Steven Proscia all hit home runs on the night for Virginia. Senior Tony Plagman led Tech at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
Tech came into the game tied for the fewest home runs allowed in the conference at just 13, but was hit for three on the night. Both teams combined to hit five home runs total in the game.
Junior Deck McGuire (5-2) lost for just the second time season, after allowing six runs on six hits in 6.2 innings.
The Richmond, Va. native pitched strong through the first six innings, holding the Cavaliers to just two runs on two hits. Virginia struck the right-hander for three runs on three hits in the seventh, however, and eventually held onto the lead.
Plagman’s three-run homer in the fifth inning to right-center off of Virginia starter Danny Hultzen gave Tech its first lead off the game at 3-2. It was the 11th home run of the season for Plagman, and just the second allowed all year by Hultzen.
Junior Cole Leonida would keep things going for the Jackets, as he stepped in on the next at-bat and hit one over the wall down the right field line to extend the lead to 4-2.
Virginia mounted its comeback in the bottom of the sixth, as Steven Proscia hit a solo shot to left field that cut Tech’s lead to 4-3.
The Cavaliers would get the go-ahead run with one out in the next frame, on a single to centerfield by Stephen Bruno that scored two runs to put UVA up 5-4.
McGuire would get a groundout on the next at-bat before he was pulled with two outs in the inning. He struck out six on the night, but allowed a season high two home runs and threw three wild pitches.
Virginia continued its momentum later in the inning, as Grovatt powered his shot over the wall in right center off of left-hander Jake Davies to extend the lead to 7-4.
The Jackets couldn’t find a rhythm at the plate in the final two innings, as UVA relief pitchers Tyler Wilson and Kevin Arico combined to strike out six of Tech’s final seven batters to end the game.
Hultzen improved to 5-1 with the win. He scattered four runs on six hits over 7.0 innings, striking out 11 in the process. The UVA pitching staff recorded 17 strikeouts on the night, the most by any team in the ACC this season.
The two teams return to action Saturday as the series continues at 4 p.m.
