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ACC Baseball Tournament 2021: Friday Scores, Updated Bracket and Schedule
May 28, 2021
Friday was a significant day for the 2021 ACC baseball tournament, with the final three games of pool play at Truist Field in Charlotte, North Carolina leading into the semifinals.
Three of the four semifinal spots were already clinched coming into the day. Duke, Georgia Tech and North Carolina State each won their pool Thursday.
Pool A was the only one still left to be decided, with the winner of the Virginia-Notre Dame game advancing. That turned out to be UVA, who won 14-1 to join the Blue Devils, Yellow Jackets and Wolfpack.
Pool A
No. 8 Virginia (2-0)
No. 1 Notre Dame (1-1)
No. 12 Virginia Tech (0-2)
Pool B
No. 2 Georgia Tech (1-1)
No. 7 Louisville (1-1)
No. 11 Clemson (1-1)
Pool C
No. 3 North Carolina State (1-1)
No. 6 North Carolina (1-1)
No. 10 Pittsburgh (1-1)
Pool D
No. 9 Duke (2-0)
No. 5 Florida State (1-1)
No. 4 Miami (0-2)
Italics indicates pool winner
2021 ACC Tournament Results/ScheduleβFriday
No. 8 Virginia def. No. 1 Notre Dame, 14-1
No. 5 Florida State def. No. 4 Miami, 6-3
No. 6 North Carolina def. No. 3 North Carolina State, 9-6
Florida State 6, Miami 3
A three-run first inning set the tone for Florida State's 6-3 win over Miami in the final game of Pool D.
Since Duke had already clinched the top spot in the pool, the Seminoles and Hurricanes were playing for pride and potentially solidifying their spot in the NCAA tournament field.
Florida State started the game on fire with three hits and a walk that led to three runs. Dylan Simmons drove in two runs with a double off Miami starter Jake Garland.
Miami clawed its way back into the game with a run in the second inning on a wild pitch and a solo homer by Raymond Gil in the fourth.
Florida State extended its lead back to 5-2 with two runs in the top half of the fifth. Logan Lacey provided insurance with a solo homer in the ninth.
The Hurricanes did threaten in the bottom of the ninth by loading the bases on two different occasions. They managed to get one run on Jose Izarra's fielder's choice.
After Tony Jenkins walked, Florida State head coach Mike Martin Jr. called on Jonah Scolaro to get the final out. Anthony Vilar put together a nine-pitch at-bat before the left-hander was finally able to punch him out with a breaking ball.
Virginia 14, Notre Dame 1
Virginia scored five runs in the second and ninth innings en route to a 14-1 blowout win over ACC regular-season champion Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish sent ace John Bertrand to the mound, and the senior had his worst start of the season, allowing five earned runs and four extra-base hits (three homers) in one inning.
Virginia's first five hitters in the top of the second inning reached base. Nic Kent, Alex Tappen and Jake Gelof each homered in the frame, with the latter's solo shot knocking Bertrand out of the game.
In between those outbursts in the second and ninth innings, the Cavaliers added a single run in the fourth and three on Zack Gelof's homer in the fifth.
The Gelof brothers combined to go 5-for-8 with two homers, six RBI and four runs scored.
Notre Dame was let down by its ace Friday, but Virginia's No. 1 starter rose to the challenge. Andrew Abbott, who entered the game with a 2.83 ERA in 14 appearances this season, struck out nine and scattered five hits in 6.1 shutout innings.
Three UVA pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts in the win.
Even though the final result wasn't what the Fighting Irish were looking for, they are going to be a high seed in the NCAA tournament after a 30-11 record this season.
Virginia entered the ACC tournament as a bubble team with a 26-22 record during the regular season, but a marquee win over Notre Dame and a trip to the semifinals have strengthened its case.
North Carolina 9, North Carolina State 6
UNC scored eight runs over the first two innings and held on late en route to a 9-6 win over North Carolina State.
Mac Horvath's first-inning grand slam proved to be the big blow.
He also added a second-inning RBI single and a fourth-inning sacrifice fly to register six RBI on the night. That helped him make some history along the way.
Pat James @patjames24Mac Horvath's six RBIs tonight are the most by any @DiamondHeels player in a postseason game since Mike Fox became UNC's head coach before the 1999 season.<br><br>Several players have had five, most recently Michael Busch against North Carolina A&T in the 2018 Chapel Hill Regional.
North Carolina State rallied in the third by scoring three runs on a fielder's choice, a walk and an RBI single. The Wolfpack added another run in the fourth to cut the lead to 9-4.
Neither team scored again until the eighth, when NC State plated one off an Austin Murr single and another courtesy of a Tyler McDonough double.
That hit put the tying run at the plate with Murr sitting at third and one out. However, UNC relief pitcher Caden O'Brien came into the game and posted back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
North Carolina State started the ninth with a leadoff single, but three straight outs ended the game.
Despite the loss, NC State will be moving onto the ACC tournament semifinals as the Pool C winner. UNC, NC State and Pitt all finished 1-1, but NC State is advancing on the tiebreaker due to being the highest seed.
The Wolfpack will be facing Georgia Tech, which won Pool B. That semifinal will occur on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.
North Carolina will hope to hear its name called in the NCAA tournament field as an at-large team. Teddy Cahill of Baseball America has the Tar Heels in the field in his latest bracket projection.