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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Virginia Tech (27-26) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 16 | 0 |
 Pitt (20-32) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 1 |
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PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A seven-run eighth inning propelled the Virginia Tech baseball team into the ACC postseason tournament, as the Hokies' victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers clinched the ninth seed in the upcoming championship. Tech defeated the Panthers 13-7 in the final game of the three-game ACC series on Saturday afternoon at Charles L. Cost Field.
Erik Payne started the rally with his second home run of the day, a two-run shot that scored Alex Perez. Brendon Hayden and Sean Keselica followed with back-to-back singles, and Mac Caples was hit by a pitch - the 12th time that's happend to him this season.
With no outs, Ryan Tufts singled home a run, and then Andrew Mogg blasted his second home run of the year, a grand slam, to give him six RBIs in the game. The rally turned a one-run deficit into the six-run advantage that the team held on to for the win.
Payne ended the game 3-for-3 with a pair of walks, three runs scored and four RBIs. Keselica also had three hits, while Tufts and Mogg had two hits each and both scored twice.
Pittsburgh (20-32, 9-21 ACC) held a 6-2 lead after four innings, as the Panthers answered a two-run first by the Hokies with three of their own. They tallied another three-spot in the fourth before the Tech offense finally came to life in the series.
Tech (27-26, 13-16 ACC) made it a one-run game with three in the top of the fifth, as Mogg hit a two-run double that scored Keselica and Tufts. Mogg then came home on a pinch-hit RBI double by Max Ponzurick that made it 6-5.
Pittsburgh got one back in the bottom of the frame, but in the top of the sixth, Payne hit a solo home run to start the inning and make it a one-run game again before the Tech onslaught in the eighth.
Out of the pen, Aaron McGarity picked up the win and improved to 5-4 on the season. Rich Condeelis suffered the loss for the Panthers and fell to 0-2. Luke Scherzer closed the game out for the Hokies and struck out five in two innings.
The Hokies will play North Carolina in the upcoming ACC play-in game in Durham, N.C. on Tuesday at 3 p.m. More details will follow with the ACC's full release tomorrow.
For updates on Virginia Tech baseball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Baseball
