CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Virginia Tech used five pitchers and No. 22 Miami just two as the two teams' pitching staffs combined to allow just nine hits and one run in a classic pitchers' duel in the second game of a three-game ACC baseball series at Mark Light Field on Saturday night.
Miami's Alex Toral hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second inning that scored JP Gates and that was all the Hurricanes needed as they took the middle contest by a 1-0 score and wrapped up the series win with the victory.
Tech (24-20, 7-16 ACC) used three double plays in the first four innings to help its starter Chris Gerard escape any more damage early on, as Miami got its first two batters in each frame on base.
The Hokies also ended the eighth frame with a double play, which prevented a second run in the contest. With one out and runners on the corners, Toral hit a ball into left in what seemed to be his second sacrifice fly of the game. Tanner Thomas caught it and fired to second.
Michael Amditis was trying to tag and advance to second while Raymond Gil was tagging and looking to score from third. Jack Owens got the out on Amditis before Gil crossed the plate and kept it a 1-0 game.
Miami (30-14, 13-10 ACC) allowed its starter Brian Van Belle to take the mound in the ninth. To that point, he allowed just three hits and a walk, while striking out eight batters.
Thomas hit a one-out single, his second hit of the game, and Nick Owens worked a walk, putting the tying run on second. The Hurricanes then called in Greg Veliz for the second straight night and he ended the game to pick up his seventh save of the season. Van Belle improved to 6-2 with the win and Gerard dropped to 3-2 with the loss.
Tech recorded four double plays in an ACC game for just the third time in school history, while five is the most since the Hokies joined the league (at James Madison, March 25, 2008). The last time Tech had four in a game was versus VMI on March 31, 2015 and the two against ACC opponents were at Maryland (March 6, 2005) and versus Florida State (March 29, 2013), the second time that season they had four in a game (vs. Holy Cross, Feb. 23).
Up Next
The two teams will conclude the three-game ACC series on Sunday at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.