MVP -- Josh Horton, UNC
C -- Richard O'Brien, Miami
1B -- Dustin Ackley, UNC
2B -- Tony Thomas, Jr., FSU
3B -- Ramon Corona, NC State
SS -- Dustin Hood, Wake
OF -- Tim Fedroff, UNC
OF -- Marcus Jones, NC State
OF -- Reid Fronk, UNC
Utility -- Josh Horton, UNC
Pitcher -- David Copp, Clemson
Pitcher -- Alex White, UNC
North Carolina just struck quickly in the top of the 8th to retake the lead.
In the middle of the 8th, UNC leads Wake 3-2 in the ACC Tournament title game.
Dustin Ackley walked to lead off the inning, and after a strikeout, Josh Horton screamed a sinking liner to right. Evan Ocheltree tried to make a diving catch running to his left, but the ball bounced past him and rolled to the wall, and Horton coasted into third with an RBI triple.
Horton was cut down, however, when UNC put on the suicide squeeze and Chad Flack couldn't get his bat on the ball.
Andrew Carignan has taken the mound to start the bottom of the 8th.
North Carolina pushed across a run in the top of the 7th to take a 2-1 lead over Wake Forest, but the Deacons answered with a run in the bottom of the inning.
After seven innings, we're tied 2-2 in the ACC Tournament title game.
After four and a half innings, Wake and Carolina are tied 1-1 in the ACC Tournament title game.
Down 1-0, Carolina scored an unearned run in the 4th to tie. Wake SS Dustin Hood threw away a Garrett Gore leadoff grounder. An out later Tim Federowicz singled, and after another out, Chad Flack lined an RBI single to left.
Wake pitcher Charlie Mellies is letting Carolina put the ball in play -- no walks or strikeouts, but only four singles in five frames. Because he's coming off Tommy John surgery, he might not be in much longer, though.
Carolina starter Luke Putkonen has allowed only an infield single and a walk and has struck out three in four innings.
Wake Forest scored a run in the first without hitting the ball out of the infield.
At the end of two innings in Jacksonville, Wake leads North Carolina 1-0 in the ACC Tournament title game.
Two Wake players have already been hit by pitches, giving them 105 HBPs as a team. That's good for third in the nation behind San Jose State (112) and Creighton (106).
The wind is still blowing in today, but not quite so fiercely, and the ball is carrying pretty well. UNC's Josh Horton hit a ball to the warning track in the second that might have been caught by the second baseman earlier this week.
North Carolina vs. Wake Forest for the ACC Tournament title at 1 pm on a beautiful, sunny day from Jacksonville!
UNC will start Luke Putkonen (7-1, 4.55 ERA in 59.1 innings) while Wake will give senior Charlie Mellies only his fourth start of 2007. Mellies has pitched only 11 innings all season and is 1-2 with a 7.36 ERA, but he's actually the leader of the Wake staff. His 2006 season was cut short by Tommy John surgery and he didn't make his debut this season until April 8th.
Wake has pulled off two stunners in a row, so don't bet against a third.
With regional host sites being announced this afternoon and regional bids going out tomorrow, let's recap where each ACC team currently stands with the selection committee. I've been telepathically channeling Larry Templeton, so this is the gospel...
Tomorrow 1pm, North Carolina vs. Wake Forest for the ACC Tournament title
UNC will start Luke Putkonen (7-1, 4.55 ERA in 59.1 innings) while Wake will give Charlie Mellies only his fourth start. Mellies has pitched only 11 innings all season and is 1-2 with a 7.36 ERA.
Not exactly a marquee pitching matchup, but Wake has pulled off two stunners in a row, so why would you think they couldn't do it again?
ACC: Canes not endearing themselves to Clemson fans
The Miami Hurricanes are cratering, and the Clemson Tigers are paying for it.
Wake scored two runs in the sixth without a hit and Miami responded in the bottom of the inning by loading the bases with none out and getting bupkis out of it.
After six innings, Wake leads Miami 7-2.
The Deacon lineup has only five hits, but has benefited from six walks.
Up till now, teams have not allowed Wake Forest's mammoth first baseman Allan Dykstra to see anything worth hitting.
For the tournament, he was 0-for-4 with four walks and two HBP's.
He just showed why teams have pitched around him.
With a man on in the top of the third, Dykstra got a pitch to his liking and cranked it completely out of the stadium, easily clearing the outfield seats in right.
It just did for Wake Forest left fielder Brett Linnenkohl.
With two out and a man on, Miami's Richard O'Brien crushed a ball to left. Linnenkohl took off after it at full speed, slowed a bit at the warning track, reached his glove up above the wall, and caught the ball.
Unfortunately for Linnenkohl, the play didn't end there.
He crashed into the wall a split second later and his glove, ball inside, fell off his hand and over the wall.
Two-run homer. 2-0 Miami at the end of two innings.
Jack Leggett is whooping joyously somewhere. Or maybe he's just smiling.
Miami and Wake Forest are just starting the nightcap. Clemson's win eliminated Miami, but even though the Canes can't win the tournament title, they are likely still playing for a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Wake Forest now controls its own destiny -- win and they play Carolina tomorrow. A Miami win sends Clemson to the title game.
Miami will throw Enrique Garcia (7-3, 3.14 ERA in 80.1 innings) against Wake Forest's Ben Hunter. Hunter is 6-6 with a 4.55 ERA. He has allowed opposing hitters to bat .290 and has thrown 10 wild pitches and has hit 7 batters in 63.1 innings, so he doesn't always know where it's going when he lets go.
Actually, we're already through one inning. Wake went down quickly in the first, and Blake Tekotte led off the bottom of the inning with a triple into the right field corner. But Miami wasted the opportunity when Roger Tomas popped up, and Yonder Alonso and Dennis Raben struck out.
I wonder if Jack Leggett is sitting in his hotel room, watching the game on TV, wearing a Miami shirt, and pounding pillows over that start?
After five innings, Clemson leads Florida State 2-0.
Clemson #9 hitter JD Burgess had no doubles in 118 at-bats this season, but he has two doubles in two plate appearances today. His second double opened the bottom of the fifth. He advanced to third on a sac bunt. Then, on a 1-1 count, Clemson tried the suicide squeeze, but Wilson Boyd was only able to foul off Bryan Henry's neck-high fastball. He struck out on the next pitch, but Marquez Smith followed with an infield single on a 1-2 pitch to score the Tigers' second run of the game.
FSU has had a hit every inning, but that's all they've had. Three of the hits even led off innings, but David Copp was able to pitch through it every time.
After three innings in Jacksonville, Clemson leads Florida State and undefeated Bryan Henry 1-0.
A Clemson win would eliminate both FSU and Miami.
FSU has had a hit every inning, but Clemson starter David Kopp has kept them in check.
Tony Thomas, Jr. has an infield single and a steal. For the season, he has 106 hits, 32 doubles, 6 triples, 11 homers, and 30 steals. He has been an absolute terror this week. He's just one of those guys who is so good you can't take your eyes off of him.
Clemson scored their run in the second when Taylor Harbin singled, moved to second on a balk, and scored on Addison Johnson's single.
Florida State and Clemson are about to start game 3 of the day. Each team needs a win and help in the nightcap 4 to reach tomorrow's final against North Carolina. A FSU win would eliminate Wake Forest; a Clemson win would eliminate Miami.
FSU starts ACC Pitcher of the Year Bryan Henry. He's 14-0 in 16 starts with a 2.50 ERA. In 104.1 innings, he has struck out 107 and allowed only 88 hits.
Clemson throws David Kopp. In 15 starts, he's 52 with a 3.86 ERA in 84 innings.
Hey, guess what? Tony Thomas, Jr. just hit the first pitch of the game for a single. Shocking, huh?
Sign up North Carolina for Sunday. The Tar Heels' 5-0 win over Virginia puts them in tomorrow's ACC Tournament title game.
Alex White threw seven innings of two-hit ball, then Andrew Carignan closed down Virginia over the final two innings.
The Heels added insurance in the bottom of the eighth without hitting the ball out of the infield, as infield singles by Tim Fedroff, Reid Fronk, Garrett Gore, and Dustin Ackley produced three runs.
Yes, I'm serious, four infield singles in one inning.
Ackley and Fronk each had two of Carolina's eight hits. John Scaglione had two of the Cavs' four hits.
At the end of seven, North Carolina still leads Virginia, 2-0, but both teams have gone to their bullpens.
UVa pulled starter Casey Lambert after six -- he allowed 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, and struck out three. I think the Cavs have found their third starter, but now they'll have to find a closer.
UNC's Alex White went 7 innings, allowed 2 hits and five walks and struck out four. He threw 116 pitches.
Tar Heel closer Andrew Carignan on to start the 8th, and I just saw 95 on the radar gun.
Wow, #9-hitter Tim Henry just greeted him with a 16-pitch at-bat that ended with a line drive single to center.
North Carolina and Virginia are about to face off with the winner earning a spot in tomorrow's title game.
Both are sure #1-seed hosts. UNC is probably a lock for a national seed, and Virginia might be playing their way into one.
Virginia has been looking for a third starter all season, and today will give their closer Casey Lambert his second start of the season. He started Saturday against BC and threw four effective innings after picking up a save two days earlier. He has fanned 41 in only 28.2 innings, and opposing hitters a hitting a meager .194 against him.
UNC counters with freshman Alex White, who is 5-4 with a 3.66 ERA in 76.1 innings.
Caleb Mangum was completely tied up by the pitch and hit the ball only about 70 feet, but it was still the game-winning hit.
The ninth-inning bleeder gave NC State an 8-7 win over Georgia Tech in a meaningless but entertaining game to open the final day of round-robin play in the ACC tournament.
Miami used three multi-run innings and eight innings of great pitching from freshman ace Eric Erickson to knock off #1-seed Florida State in front of a Jacksonville ACC record crowd, 9-3.
The win completely muddles the tournament's Bracket A, as all four teams in the bracket are still alive, but all four need to win and get help tomorrow to advance to the title game.
