JACKSONVILLE, FLA. - For seven innings, it looked like N.C. State would cruise in its opening game at the Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament.

And after the seventh? Well, all N.C. State baseball coach Elliott Avent could do was shake his head.

His bullpen gave up five runs in the eighth, and then his infield committed three consecutive errors in the top of the ninth as Georgia Tech came from behind for a 10-9 victory on Wednesday.

"You're in the dugout the whole game doing charts or whatever, and the next thing you know you're in a wild and crazy game," Avent said. "[It was] plays we make all the time, it's just a shame."

N.C. State, which plays Clemson at 8 p.m. today, must win its next two games -- and see Georgia Tech lose its next two -- in order to advance to the championship game. The scenario is daunting, but Wake Forest advanced to the finals a year ago after an opening-day loss.

On Wednesday, the Yellow Jackets erased a comfortable, four-run Wolfpack lead with a five-run top of the eighth to take an 8-7 lead.

But N.C State answered in the bottom half of the inning. The Wolfpack loaded the bases, and Nick Stanley's pinch-hit double down the right-field line scored two.

N.C. State shortstop Tommy Foschi also tried to score from first but was thrown out at the plate as he ran into Georgia Tech catcher Jason Haniger.

Foschi was immediately ejected because of an NCAA rule that prevents players from attempting to dislodge the ball from the catcher. Both benches cleared as players gathered after the collision, but umpires and coaches stepped in and no punches were thrown.

"I don't know if Tommy could have gone anywhere," Avent said. "The only thing I would say, I didn't know where Tommy was going to go. [Haniger] was in front of the plate, there was no where else for him to go unless he just slid right into the tag. Did it have to be called? I don't know, but if [veteran umpire] Randy Harvey made the call, I guess I'll live with it."

Foschi's absence in the ninth forced second baseman Dallas Poulk to shift over to shortstop, and Russell Wilson entered the game to play second.

Shaky defense would follow.

First baseman Pat Ferguson, who had three hits, couldn't handle Chase Burnette's grounder to lead off the inning. A Wilson fielding error on the next play left runners at second and third, and then Poulk had a fielding error that allowed both runs to score, giving Georgia Tech the 10-9 lead.

"It seemed we were in a game that we always win but some funny things happened down the stretch," Avent said. "But you have to give a lot of credit to Georgia Tech and how hard they battled."

The Wolfpack had runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Ferguson grounded out to first to end the game. The two teams combined for eight errors and 26 strikeouts in a game that lasted almost four hours.

An NCSU team spokesman said sophomore relief pitcher Jimmy Gillheeney, a first-team All-ACC selection who leads the Pack with 10 saves, did not accompany the team to Jacksonville. It was called a "privacy issue" and no other details about Gillheeney's absence were given.