May 24, 2006
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.(AP) – Mike Trapani hit an eighth inning home run well over the left field wall to lift Georgia Tech to a 2-1 win over Miami in the third game of the Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
Trapani hit a 3-and-2 pitch with two out in the eighth inning to break up the pitching duel between Tech’s Blake Wood and Miami’s Scott Maine. It was the senior second baseman’s fourth home run of the year and stretched his hitting streak to nine consecutive games.
Miami (35-20) threatened to tie the game in the top of the ninth inning, putting runners on first and second with one out. But Yellow Jackets relief pitcher Brad Rulon came on to strike out Danny Valencia and Eddy Rodriguez to end the game.
Rodriguez provided the Hurricanes with their only run of the game with a second-inning home run. It was one of five hits that Wood allowed in turning in a season-long 8 1/3 innings.
Georgia Tech (43-14) tied the game in the fourth inning on three successive hits, a double by Jeff Kindel, a single from Whit Robbins and an RBI double by designated hitter Wes Hodges.
Wood (9-4) was near-untouchable following Rodriguez’ home run. The junior right hander faced just 22 batters over the next seven innings, one over the limit, before he was replaced with one out in the ninth inning. The only Miami runner to get past first base against Wood was Rodriguez on his ninth home run of the year.
Miami’s Maine (10-3) was equally tough. He had retired 12 in a row before Trapani sent a liner over the 321-foot sign on the left field wall. Maine allowed six hits, walked two and struck out three.
Georgia Tech, winners of 12 of its last 14 ACC Tournament games, moves into Thursday’s winners’ bracket and will meet the winner of the Clemson-Wake Forest game. Miami will play the loser of that game in a 1 p.m. contest Thursday.
