March 9, 2007

ATLANTA, Ga. - The pitching of starter Greg Fryman and reliever Rhett Ballard, and a key three-run homer by third baseman Bryan Thomas, sparked Virginia Tech to a 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference victory at No. 21 Georgia Tech on Friday. The win snapped the Hokies' 18-game losing streak in ACC road games. It was the 2007 conference opener for both teams.

Fryman, a senior right-hander from Gibsonia, Pa., worked 6.2 innings allowing two runs (one earned) on just five hits. He struck out five batters and walked two on the way to improving his record to 2-1. Ballard (High Point, N.C.), who took over for fellow reliever Josh Canova with two outs in the seventh, pitched 2.1 scoreless innings to save the Hokies' first ACC road win since a 2-0 victory at Duke during the 2005 season. Ballard allowed two hits, struck out three batters and did not issue a walk.

The Hokies (9-5; 1-0) broke a scoreless tie with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. Center fielder Nate Parks (Roanoke, Va.) started the inning with a double down the left field line and then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by second baseman Matt Hacker (Richmond, Va.). Hacker was safe at first base on the play thanks to a throwing error by Georgia Tech starting pitcher David Duncan (3-2). Thomas (Wilmington, N.C.) then cleared the bases with his first home run of the year.

Virginia Tech increased its lead to 5-0 with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Catcher Matt Foley (Lansdowne, Va.) doubled with one out in the fifth, moved to third on an infield single by Parks and scored on a wild pitch by Duncan. Shortstop Warren Schaeffer (Vandergrift, Pa.) provided the run in the sixth with a two-out home run to left center field. It was his second homer of the season.

Georgia Tech (8-7; 0-1) got on the board, and back in the game, with a three-run seventh inning. A lead-off triple by second baseman Patrick Long got the Yellow Jackets started. Long scored the first run as right fielder Curtis Dupart grounded out to second. A Tech fielding error kept the inning alive and with two outs in the inning, Fryman was replaced by left-handed reliever Canova (Vienna, Va.). Canova walked the first man he faced before giving up an RBI-single to Jackets' shortstop Michael Fisher. Sophomore right-hander Ballard replaced Canova on the mound and yielded a run-scoring single to Georgia Tech catcher Matt Wieters before getting out of the inning with a groundout.

Ballard retired the Yellow Jackets in order in the eighth inning. In the ninth, he gave up a single to Georgia Tech pinch hitter Tony Plagman with one out. An errant toss to first base by Ballard moved the runner to second and he took third as Ballard coaxed a grounder to second base for the second out of the inning. The Tech reliever then struck Fisher out looking to end the game.

The Hokies out-hit the Yellow Jackets 9-8. Parks and Schaeffer each contributed a pair of hits. Parks also stole two bases, while Schaeffer added one steal.

The two Techs are scheduled to continue their three-game series on Saturday at 1 p.m