CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Virginia starting pitcher Evan Blanco threw 6.0 scoreless innings and took advantage of 16 hits from the offense to defeat the No. 9-seeded Georgia Tech 13-0 in seven innings on Wednesday at the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Championship at Truist Field in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Blanco (7-3) threw just 80 pitches and held the Georgia Tech offense to just five hits, one walk and three strikeouts over six complete innings to pick up the win.
At the plate, six Cavalier hitters had two hits apiece, led by Griff O’Ferrall, who went 2-for-4 with a double, walk, three RBI and a run scored, and Casey Saucke at 2-for-5 with a home run, double, four RBI and a run scored. Saucke, Harrison Didawick and Henry Godbout all homered in the victory.
Georgia Tech was limited to five singles. Carson Kearce was 1-for-2 at the plate, while Matthew Ellis, Cam Jones, Payton Green and Bobby Zmarziak all went 1-for-3.
No. 4 seed Virginia got on the scoreboard first in the contest in the top of the second inning by way of a two-run home run over the wall in right field off the bat of Didawick. The Cavaliers doubled the lead with a pair of RBI singles from O’Ferrall and Ford to run out to a 4-0 lead midway through the second inning of play.
After Georgia Tech threatened to score in the bottom half of the inning, yet stranded two runners in scoring position, the Cavaliers picked up a solo home run from Godbout in the top of the third frame to push the lead to 5-0.
The Cavaliers continued the scoring barrage with a two-run home run in the fourth, a pair of RBI doubles in the fifth and a two-run double and RBI single in the sixth to blow the game open at 13-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.
UVA reliever Matt Augustin pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning to seal the seven-inning win.
Virginia (41-14) will return to Pool D Play versus No. 5 seed Florida State on Friday, May 24, at 11 a.m. with a spot in the semifinals on the line.
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