Big Inning Lifts Miami Past Georgia Tech, 8-6
May 20, 2009
DURHAM, N.C. — Miami sent 13 batters to the plate in the sixth inning, scoring seven runs en route to an 8-6 victory over Georgia Tech Wednesday in the opening game of the 2009 ACC Baseball Championship.
The Hurricanes, held without a hit for the first five and a third innings, finally got to Yellow Jacket starter and ACC Pitcher of the Year Deck McGuire (L, 10-1) when first baseman Jason Hagerty ripped a one-out double into the right-field corner at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. After a walk to catcher Yasmani Grandal, leftfielder Chris Herrmann and third baseman Harold Martinez followed with back-to-back doubles.
“Going up that inning, I was just trying to take what I learned in earlier at-bats,” Hagerty said. “He made a few mistake pitches to me across the middle of the plate. It felt [after that at- bat] that everything that he did throw, our guys were hitting. It was a good roll for us, getting back-to-back hits, especially off of [McGuire].”
Miami (36-18) blasted eight hits in the sixth inning, including five doubles, before Georgia Tech reliever Jack Davies — the Jackets’ third pitcher of the inning — could finally end the carnage. Hagerty, who doubled twice in the seventh, finished the day 2-for-4 with a RBI.
“It’s a huge win against Georgia Tech,” head coach Jim Morris said. “Our guys did a great job and took care of the sixth inning getting a chance to beat the pitcher of the year, and of course Georgia Tech is a very, very solid club. We had a lot of guys that had good days to put it together, whether it was the bullpen or the back-to-back-to-back type hitting. We’re very excited about the win and I’m very excited for our team.”
The Yellow Jackets, down 8-2 at that point, closed the gap with two unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth and two earned runs — driven in by centerfielder Jeff Rowland — in the seventh. Georgia Tech (34-16-1) put the first two runners on base with no outs in the bottom of the ninth, but reliever Kyle Bellamy (S, 16) retired the final three batters to secure the victory.
For Bellamy, the save was his 12th multi-inning save of the season, allowing just one hit while striking out two in two innings of work.
Georgia Tech had taken an early 2-1 lead, scoring single runs in the first and fourth innings — both runs forced in by bases loaded walks. The Jackets knocked out Miami starter Travis Miller in the third and then bounced reliever Sam Robinson in the fourth.
However, David Gutierrez (W, 3-6) gave Miami three solid innings of middle relief to earn the victory with Bellamy’s help.
Ted Blackman also finished with multiple hits for UM, going 2-for-3 with a run.
Both teams will be in action again Thursday in the round-round portion of the tournament. Miami meets Florida State at 4 p.m. after Georgia Tech faces Boston College at 12 p.m.
For more information, please go to www.theacc.com/durham09 or follow @theacc on Twitter.
Game Notes
– The win for Miami was its 26th come-from-behind victory of the season.
– Miami improved to 46-24 all-time against Georgia Tech. The Hurricanes have now come away victorious in eight of their last 10 meetings with the Yellow Jackets.
– The two-inning save for Kyle Bellamy was his 12th multi-inning save of the season.
– Miami improved to 1-0 when playing in the ACC Baseball Championship’s opening game while the Yellow Jackets fall to 3-1.
– In Miami’s 7-run sixth inning, the Hurricanes posted 5 doubles – including two by Jason Hagerty – en route to taking a 8-2 lead over Georgia Tech.
– GT starting pitcher Deck McGuire allowed a career-high eight runs in the loss. The loss for McGuire was his first of the season and just the second of his career.
– The 2009 ACC Baseball Championship marks the sixth time the league tournament has been contested in Durham and the second time at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Radio Note
– In addition to its regular broadcast on 560 AM in South Florida, WQAM can be heard live on 87.7 FM in the Durham area during UM’s tournament games.
