Virginia Tech advances to ACC baseball title game; awaits winner of UNC-NC State

DURHAM, N.C. — For pool play in the ACC tournament, the Virginia Tech baseball team was placed in a foursome that included two top-10 teams and a Georgia Tech squad that won its regular-season series with the Hokies.

Three wins later, the Hokies have earned a spot in the ACC title game for the first time.

Chad Pinder drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning to give the sixth-seeded and 21st-ranked Hokies a 3-2 victory over seventh-seeded Georgia Tech on Friday at Durham Athletic Park.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Pinder said. “We couldn’t be happier.

“We’ve just got to keep it rolling.”

The victory gave the Hokies (38-19) a berth in Sunday’s title game against the winner of Saturday night’s North Carolina-North Carolina State game.

“This is an unreal feeling,” said closer Clark Labitan, a fifth-year senior who was surrounded by his teammates after striking out Thomas Smith to end the game.

“To be here and be with what will probably go down as one of the best teams in Virginia Tech history, and to pitch the last inning and get the last out and have everybody come up to me, is just a surreal feeling.”

Virginia Tech went 3-0 in pool play, including a 10-1 rout of third-seeded and fifth-ranked Virginia and a 3-2 win over second-seeded and seventh-ranked Florida State.

“We played in a bear of a pool,” coach Pete Hughes said.

Sunday’s winner will reap an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, although the Hokies have been a safe bet for the past several weeks to receive an at-large berth.

Virginia Tech has its sights set on hosting one of the 16 NCAA regionals. Virginia Tech associate athletic director Jon Jaudon figures the Hokies, Clemson, South Carolina, Arkansas and South Alabama are in the running for the final two host sites.

The Hokies will likely have to win Sunday to remain in contention to host a regional at English Field, but Hughes said his team deserves to host no matter what happens Sunday. He noted that the Hokies have gone 3-1 this year against both UVa and FSU.

“That in itself should put us in a situation to host whether we win or lose on Sunday,” he said. “These guys have done enough on their resume to have Virginia Tech host a regional.”

The host sites will be announced Sunday night. The NCAA field will be announced Monday.

“You think about Virginia Tech, you think football,” Labitan said. “But now, if we can host, it’s going to be about baseball as well.”

The Hokies could have a tough time winning the ACC final. They were swept this season by UNC, now ranked sixth by Baseball America, and ninth-ranked State. The Hokies are 1-23 against UNC since joining the ACC.

But the confident Hokies won Friday for the 13th time in their past 14 games.

“You tell me a hotter team in the country right now,” Hughes said. “So we’ve got a different mind-set going into [the final].”

“We’re feeling good,” Pinder said. “There’s definitely a chip on our shoulder from those [UNC and State] series.”

The Hokies got another good outing from a starting pitcher Friday.

Duke transfer Devin Burke (10-3) allowed two runs (one earned), seven hits and two walks while striking out four in 7 2⁄3 innings on a windy afternoon.

“I had to grind it out,” Burke said. “I got the ball up a little bit, … but the wind helped me.”

Wind blowing in from left field turned two flyballs hit by Georgia Tech’s Mitch Earnest into outs.

“The elements definitely had a factor in the game,” said Georgia Tech coach Danny Hall, whose team fell to 34-25. “[Earnest] hit a couple balls that any other day, one is a home run and one is off the wall.”

In the fourth, Pinder homered to tie the score at 1. It was Pinder’s third homer of the tournament.

“I’m just really, really locked in,” he said.

The Hokies tied the score at 2 in the bottom of the fifth. Brendon Hayden doubled and scored on Alex Perez’s RBI single.

In the seventh, Kyle Wernicki singled, advanced on a Perez sacrifice, moved to third on a Sean Keselica single and scored on Pinder’s sacrifice fly.

Burke was pulled in favor of Labitan after Sam Dove doubled with two outs in the eighth.

On Thursday against FSU, Labitan allowed the game-tying single in the ninth. This time, he retired A.J. Murray on a popup to get out of the jam.

“I try to forget the day before,” said Labitan, who recorded his 10th save.

If the Hokies had lost Friday, the Pool B slot in the final would have gone to Georgia Tech or UVa.

Georgia Tech 001 010 000 — 2 7 0

Virginia Tech 000 110 10x — 3 10 1

King, Cruz (7), Palka (7) and Evans, Earnest; Burke, Labitan (8) and Morgan. W— Burke (10-3). L— King (6-5). HR— VT: Pinder (11).

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