Georgia Tech (28-28, 12-14 ACC) used a complete game from Connor Thomas in a 5-1 over UVA (26-21, 10-16 ACC) in the middle game of three game Atlantic Coast Conference series at Disharoon Park. The rubber match on Monday will air on ESPNU at 7 p.m.
Thomas threw 111 pitches, allowed six hits and struck out seven in his third complete game of the season. He held the Cavaliers hitless over the first 4.2 innings until Justin Novak (Tokyo, Japan) deposited a single into right field. Thomas did not walk a batter and overcame three defensive miscues behind him.
“Their starter, Connor Thomas, was tremendous today,” head coach Brian O’Connor said. “We knew coming into the game that he’s had a terrific month. I think he was named national pitcher of the month, which is hard to do, and today we found out why.”
The Cavaliers plated an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Tanner Morris (Crozet, Va.) scored Cameron Comer (Powell, Ohio) with a two-out single. The hit was his fifth of the series. Comer, who had homered in the two games prior, has now scored seven runs in his last three games.
Georgia Tech’s Wade Bailey and Chase Murray combined for four hits, two runs and three RBIs in the contest. The duo was responsible for the first three runs of the game in the third and fifth innings enabling the Yellow Jackets to jump out to a 3-0 lead after five. Georgia Tech added two runs on three hits in the eighth to extend its advantage to 5-1.
Cavalier starting pitcher Noah Murdock (Colonial Heights, Va.) pitched in his longest outing of the season, going four innings and allowing one earned run. He struck out a season-high four batters in his fourth start of the year. For the second-straight outing, Murdock faced the minimum over his first two innings pitched.
Freshman Griff McGarry (Portola Valley, Calif.) struck out four batters in three innings of work and got the Cavaliers out of a jam in the fifth when he fanned Georgia Tech’s top-hitter, Joey Bart for the final out. He went on to retire seven-straight batters until being lifted with two outs in the eighth.
Senior Mack Meyer (San Francisco, Calif.) pitched the final 1.1 innings and allowed only an infield single in his 19th appearance of the year.
The two teams will have an off-day Sunday (May 13) and come back to Disharoon Park on Monday night for the series finale. The Cavaliers will have left-hander Daniel Lynch on the mound and he will be opposed by righty Tristin English.
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Chris Graham
