CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Virginia baseball team (36-21) was outslugged by the No. 3 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (46-9), 16-10, in the quarterfinals of the ACC Baseball Championship at Truist Field on Thursday (May 21).
In a contest that saw nine home runs, UVA built a 9-5 lead after seven and a half innings before the Yellow Jackets scored 11 of the final 12 runs of the game.
The Virginia trio of Joe Tiroly, Antonio Perrotta and Eric Becker combined for nine hits, six RBIs and four extra base hits. Harrison Didawick added a home run and a double of his own to aid the Cavalier offense.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After a scoreless two opening frames, Georgia Tech’s Carson Kerce opened the scoring with a solo home run that put the Yellow Jackets up with three innings in the books.
- UVA answered in the next half inning with a two-run blast off the bat of Perrotta. The long ball was his fifth of the year.
- In the bottom of the fourth, Georgia Tech plated three runs with an RBI groundout and a two-run single to left.
- A leadoff single from AJ Gracia opened the four-run fifth for Virginia. In the frame, Tiroly and Didawick each demolished two-run home runs that put the Cavaliers out 6-4.
- Georgia Tech got a run back in the home half of the frame with a leadoff home run from Vahn Lackey.
- Virginia extended its lead to 7-5 in the top of the sixth when Eric Becker scored on a Sam Harris sacrifice fly to right field.
- Before the seventh inning stretch, UVA plated two more runs on a Becker RBI double down the line and a Tiroly bases-loaded walk.
- The Yellow Jackets took the lead for good with a seven-run seventh that included a grand slam and a solo home run in back-to-back at-bats.
- Virginia’s final run of the game came in the top of the eighth when Didawick scampered home on a Zach Jackson sacrifice fly to the wall in left center.
- Georgia Tech scored its final four runs in the bottom of the eighth with a pair of two-run home runs for the 16-10 final.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Virginia falls to 70-81-2 all-time against Georgia Tech and 7-8 against the Yellow Jackets in the ACC Tournament.
- UVA drops to 62-83 in ACC Tournament games all-time and 4-5 in ACC Tournaments held in the city of Charlotte.
- The 10 runs are the most by the Cavaliers in an ACC Tournament game since run-ruling Georgia Tech 13-0 in the 2024 Tournament.
- All nine Cavalier starters scored a run in the quarterfinal contest.
- Harrison Didawick scored a pair of runs on the afternoon to give the senior 198 runs scored in his career, one back of Bobby Rivell for the most all-time in Virginia baseball history.
- Didawick also drove in a pair of runs to give him 181 RBIs in his career. The senior is only the third Cavalier to drive in 180 runs during his career.
UP NEXT
The 2026 NCAA Tournament field will be announced on Monday (May 25) with a live selection show at noon on ESPN2.