NC State gave Vanderbilt a little of what the Commodores did earlier in the regional, score runs late. The Wolfpack scored six runs over the final two innings to win 9-7 and celebrate winning the Raleigh Region. NC State was the final team to advance to the Super Regionals. They will play the number one team in the country, Florida.

It was the third time the two teams faced each other in the regional. Both teams scored a run in the first inning, with Vandy’s Mike Yastrzemski hitting a homerun. The Wolfpack scored two runs in the top of the 3rd inning via two fielding errors. The Commodores came right back with five runs on five hits in the bottom of the inning.

In the 9th inning, NC State scored three runs, but could have scored more. They had the bases loaded with just one out, but Vandy got back-to-back strikeouts. The inning was capped by Tarran Senay‘s two-run single. They were also helped out by another Vandy error.

Ryan Wilkins took the mound in the 9th inning for NC State and struck out the side to set off the celebration and win the region. Wilkins pitched 4.2 shutout innings and allowed just three hits.

NC State and Florida will begin their series in Gainesville on Saturday, June 9th at 2pm ET on ESPNU. Sunday’s game is set for 1pm ET on ESPNU, with Monday’s if necessary game set for 1pm ET on ESPN2.

*NC State joins Florida State as the only two ACC schools to move on to the Super Regionals. FSU will host Stanford in Tallahassee. Their series begins on Friday, June 8th. The first game is 7pm ET on ESPN2. Saturday’s game is 6pm ET on ESPN2 and the if necessary Sunday game is scheduled for 7pm ET on ESPN2.

Sunday was not a great day to be a baseball team in the ACC. One team advanced to the Super Regionals. One will play in a win-or-go-home Monday game. Four were sent home (two of which were host schools and one was a top-8 national seed). Four teams did stave off elimination at least once on Sunday.

Clemson staved all elimination by beating Coastal Carolina for the second time in the regional (and sent CCU home), 5-3. Jason Stolz hit two homeruns (three RBIs). Dominic Leone picked up the victory (7IP, 6H, 3R, 2ER, 4BB, 6K).

However they could not force a win-or-go-home Monday matchup with South Carolina. The Tigers lost to the Gamecocks 4-3 (the second time of the regional), as SC advanced to the Super Regionals.

With a runner on first base and two outs, Brad Felder flied out to the warning track to end the game. Jonathan Meyer allowed just one run on seven hits over 8.1 innings of relief.

For more on South Carolina, check out Cocky Country.

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North Carolina staved off elimination, as they beat East Carolina, 5-3. Closer Michael Morin allowed a solo homerun in the 9th inning (the second homerun he allowed in his last two games).

The Tarheels scored three runs in the 7th inning to pull away (tied 2-1). There were four walks, a balk, a passed ball, a sac fly, and a pinch-hit two-run single from Mike Zolk.

However they could not use that momentum, as they lost to St. John’s 9-5. St. John’s now moves on to the Super Regional to face the winner of the Tuscon Region. UNC was the first of the top-8 national seeds to be knocked out (number six).

» Continue reading “NCAA Baseball Tournament: ACC Recap Day 3″

When Game 1 finally resumed on Saturday after being suspended Friday, Virginia starter Branden Kline and Army starter Chris Rowley were back on the mound. Three 3-run innings propelled the Cavaliers into the winner’s bracket with a 9-1 win. UVA will play Appalachian State (who beat Oklahoma) on Sunday at 3pm ET.

UVA got on the board in the 2nd inning. The three-run inning was capped by Stephen Bruno‘s two-run single. Army got on the board in the 6th inning on an RBI ground out. Kline was replaced by Kyle Crockett with runners at first and second base and Crockett got the strikeout to end the inning. A Branden Cogswell bases-clearing double in the bottom of the 6th inning put the Cavaliers up 6-1.

Bruno and Brandon Dowes each had three hits. Austin Young pitched the final two innings and did not allow a hit for the Cavaliers.

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Miami became the first host school to be eliminated, as they lost 12-2 to Missouri State. They began their elimination game with a dud in the very first inning. The Hurricanes led off with two straight singles, but they ran into an out and their middle-of-the-order guys struck out.

Then Missouri State’s offense went to work against Miami starter Steven Ewing. It all started with one out, but it took eight more hitters for Ewing to record another out. He allowed six hits, two walks, and seven runs while recording just two outs. After the inning was finally over, the Miami announcer summed it up with “holy crap”.

Hurricanes reliever Eric Whaley (who is normally a starter) held Missouri State scoreless over three innings, but allowed three runs in the 6th inning.

Brock Chaffin and Keenen Maddux each had three hits in the victory. Maddux drove in four runs. Missouri State, whose pitching staff leads the nation in ERA, will face the loser of the UCF-Stony Brook game on Sunday at 2pm ET.

» Continue reading “NCAA Baseball Regionals: ACC Recap Day 2″

The common theme with ACC teams in regional games on Friday was weather delay as rain and lightning wreaked havoc on the East Coast.

It all started in the Charlottesville Region, with the first game being moved up to 11am ET due to incoming inclement weather. That first game between Army and Virginia only reached one batter into the bottom of the first inning. The day was cancelled around 5:30pm ET. This game will resume at 1pm ET on Saturday followed by Appalachian State-Oklahoma at 6pm ET. The bad weather guarantees baseball action in Charlottesville on Monday.

Clemson got the Columbia Region started against Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers defense was shaky early, costing them a few runs (though there were no official errors). The Tigers Phil Pohl blew the game open with a grand slam in the 2nd inning. The game went into a lightning delay in the bottom of the 5th inning with Clemson leading 7-2. The game got back underway a little after 3pm ET (almost a two hour delay) and Clemson continued to score.

Pohl, the recently named Academic All-American, drove in five runs in the 11-3 victory for Clemson. Five Tigers had two hits each. They will face South Carolina on Saturday at 4pm ET.

Georgia Tech got the Gainesville Region started against the College of Charleston. Down 1-0 in the bottom of the first, GT’s Jake Davies hit a three-run homerun, only to see C of C come back with a two-run homer to tie the game. Sloppy defense and a Brandon Thomas three-run homerun gave the Yellow Jackets a 7-3 lead after two innings.

The Yellow Jackets held on for the 8-4 victory. They will face Florida (who pitched a no-hitter) Saturday at 7pm ET. Sam Dove, Davies, and Thomas combined to go 8-for-12 with six runs scored and eight RBIs. Dusty Isaacs pitched 5.1 shutout innings of relief for GT and allowed just three hits while striking out four to pick up the win.

» Continue reading “NCAA Baseball Regionals: ACC Recap Day 1″