Virginia Tech vs Clemson ACC Baseball Tournament Recap

ACC Tournament: Virginia Tech 9, Clemson 8

A South Carolina native won the game for his team Friday in the ACC Baseball Championship Tournament, but just not for the hometown Clemson Tigers. Virginia Tech leftfielder and South Carolina product Andrew Rash avoided Clemson catcher John Nester’s tag for the deciding run in the eighth inning of a 9-8 Hokies victory.

With Rash on second base in eighth and two outs on the board, Virginia Tech centerfielder Sean Ryan knocked a single through the middle of the infield – setting up a play at the plate. Clemson centerfielder Addison Johnson threw a strike to the Tigers catcher Nester, but Rash jumped head-first over the tag and tapped the plate before tumbling towards the dugout. Rash went 2 for 4 on the game with a towering solo home run to leftfield in the sixth and the double in the eighth inning. 

Clemson answered in the top of the ninth with basehit and ground-ball that sent the tying run of second baseman Mike Freeman to second base. Tigers slugger Kyle Parker came to the plate after a 0-3 day (but with two runs scored) and failed to complete the rally with a hard line-drive grounder to first base to end the game.  

The lead between Clemson and Virginia Tech sat on a high-scoring seesaw all game long. Hokies put 5-spot up in the first inning behind a RBI single, a RBI groundout, and a 3-run home run by designated hitter Buddy Sosnoskie. Clemson struck back in the fourth inning with the help of 3 Hokies errors to gain a 6-5 lead. Virginia Tech restored order in the bottom of the inning by tying it up on a Clemson throwing error. In the fifth and sixth innings, the Hokies added two runs by a double and home run respectively for 8-6 lead. The Tigers answered the next two innings with a home run and RBI groundout to tie it up at 8. And in the eighth, Ryan singled in Rash to complete their second rally of the game and the 9-8 win.  

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Virginia Tech advances to the ACC Championship Game with a win Saturday night against the NC State Wolfpack, but there are a couple scenarios where the 2-0 Hokies can be left out in the cold. If NC State prevails Friday night against Georgia Tech, the Wolfpack advance on with a win over the Hokies with a 3-0 round-robin record. If Georgia Tech wins Friday night and wins Saturday versus Clemson, Virginia Tech losing to NC State would make a 3-team tie where Georgia Tech wins the tiebreaker for being the highest seed of the 3 teams.

Clemson is eliminated in pool-play after going 0-2 – giving up 22 runs in two games. They play Georgia Tech at 4 Eastern tomorrow.

The Hokies had 13 hits total on the game with 2 home runs. Along with Rash, rightfielder Austin Wates led the way with a 3 for 4 day – scoring twice also.  

Virginia Tech closer Ben Rowen got the win after blowing the save in the eighth, but stranding the tying run on second base in the ninth with a Kyle Parker groundout.

By: Brandon Rink
ACC Fans Guest Writer