DURHAM — NC State’s dream of winning the ACC Tournament for the first time since 1992, came up short Saturday.
Georgia Tech had a pair of home runs and also a five-run eighth inning to burry NC State 9-2 in the ACC Tournament semifinals, which was held at the Durham Bulls Ballpark. Georgia Tech advanced to play North Carolina at 12 p.m. Sunday.
No. 13-ranked NCSU (42-17 overall) will now turn its attention to the NCAA Tournament, which will have the top 16 host sites announced at 8:30 p.m. Sunday through social media. The full selection show is 12:30 p.m. Monday on ESPNU.
“That is in the committee’s hands right now,” said NCSU coach Elliott Avent on hosting a regional. “We should be hosting, and I’m sure we are. If we don’t play any better than we played tonight in doing the little things — the big things we are fine — but the little things, if we don’t get better than that, we aren’t going to advance in a regional. I don’t care if we play in Raleigh or in Las Vegas, Nev.”
NC State had golden opportunities with the leadoff hitter getting on base in the first inning, second, third and fourth. The Wolfpack scratched out a run in the third, when sophomore catcher Patrick Bailey tripled in Jonny Butler to tie the game at 1-1. Avent figured his team had the chance to take an early 3-0 lead if the Wolfpack had cashed in with runners in scoring position.
“We hung in there and tried, but they pitched better than we hit,” Avent said. “It was those two opportunities early in the game. If we are going to do well in the regional, we better start to figure out how to cash those things in.”
GT relief pitcher Jonathan Hughes, who went five innings to improve to 8-2 on the season, ensured NC State’s bats remained relatively quiet down the stretch. Hughes entered the game with a 5.68 earned-run average in 23 relief appearances, but proved in command Saturday.
Georgia Tech’s first four runs came via the long ball. Slugger Tristin English drilled his 17th home run of the season in the second inning, but what happened next for the Yellow Jackets was surprising. Sophomore Michael Guldberg hadn’t hit a home run all season, but the 6-foot, 172-pounder hit a three-run shot in the bottom of the fifth inning for the eventual game-winning runs.
The wheels came off in the eighth inning, with Georgia Tech tacking on five more runs, but Guldberg’s homer proved to be the difference. It chased starting pitching Jason Parker, who fell to 4-3 on the season, and the Wolfpack ended up using six different relief pitchers, including four who didn’t make it a full inning.
Guldberg hit two home runs his freshman year, and does lead GT with a .374 batting average this season.
“The ball was absolutely flying tonight,” Avent said.
Georgia Tech finished with nine runs on 11 hits, plus five walks and two hit batsmen. Friday’s game against Florida State might not have meant anything for the ACC Tournament, but the Wolfpack allowed 11 runs on 16 hits and three walks in just seven innings of action against the Seminoles.
“Last night, we didn’t get off to a good start pitching,” Avent said. “It was that game meaning nothing, so we weren’t going to pitch anybody that pitched down the stretch.
“[CJ] Van Eyk [of FSU] pitched one of the best games I’ve seen pitched against us all year. I thought he was outstanding.
“Jason Parker was doing good for us. Their guy with his slider was doing good for them.”
The momentum from Thursday’s thrilling four-run ninth inning rally to top Wake Forest 6-5 didn’t carry over as hoped for. The NCSU offense scored two runs, and just four runs in 24 innings if you take out the explosion in the ninth against the Demon Deacons.
“Those are probably some of the best arms we’ve faced all year,” said Bailey about facing FSU and Georgia Tech. “We had opportunities both nights, but didn’t get it done. That’s baseball.”
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