Angelo Dispigna Powers Georgia Tech Past Clemson In Extra Innings.

Georgia Tech wins game one of series vs the Tigers

Author:
Jackson Caudell
Publish date:
Mar 24, 2023 9:53 PM EDT

Georgia Tech has not had good luck in extra innings this season, but that finally changed tonight.

After dropping their first ACC series of the year against Louisville last week, Georgia Tech was looking to stay in the top half of the ACC Coastal when they took on Clemson tonight.

Clemson came into this game and was at the bottom of the ACC Atlantic standings and has had an uneven season. The Tigers lost their series to Duke last weekend in their first ACC series of the year and have struggled in other series as well.

Dawson Brown was on the mound tonight for Georgia Tech and here is the starting lineup that Tech went with in game one:

1. CF- Jake DeLeo

2. DH- Kristian Campbell

3. RF- Stephen Reid

4. IF- Angelo Dispigna

5. 1B- Jackson Finley

6. 3B- Drew Compton

7. C- Jack Rubenstein

8. 2B-Nicholas Romano

9. SS- Jadyn Jackson

Brown looked to be in early trouble in the first inning after two straight walks to start the game, but got a strikeout and then a double play to have a scoreless inning.

DeLeo got on board with a leadoff single, but a double play ended any hopes of Georgia Tech getting on the board first.

Brown added two more strikeouts in the 2nd and kept the game 0-0. It was an encouraging start for Brown, who has been struggling lately.

The bottom of the second was much like the 1st inning. Tech got one single but was unable to add anything together and the game went to the third 0-0.

Clemson got a leadoff single and then advanced the runner to second on a sac bunt, but Brown got out of it with a strikeout and a groundout to give him three scoreless innings to start the game.

Both pitchers kept their momentum going early. The game was scoreless through four innings and GT was hitting 3-14 and Clemson was 2-12. Ben King came in to replace Brown in the 5th and try to keep the Yellow Jackets' good night on the mound going. Brown pitched four innings and only allowed two hits, two walks, and struck out four batters.

That changed quickly, however.

King gave up a home run to his first batter and the Yellow Jackets suddenly trailed 1-0. He got out of the inning only giving up that run though and giving the Tech offense a chance to get something going. After Romano struck out, Jackson got a single and then advanced to second after DeLeo ground out and Tech had a runner in scoring position. Back-to-back walks from Campbell and Reid loaded the bases, but Dispigna struck out to end the inning. Leaving runners on base was a problem on Tuesday against Wofford and it showed up tonight as well.

Tech hit two batters to put a runner in scoring position and then an RBI single gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead. Camron Hill was called on to replace King and try to keep the lead 2-0. Hill started the game against Wofford earlier this week but had a tough night. This was a chance to get back on track for him.

The offense finally got a run on the board courtesy of a solo home run for Finley and Tech trailed 2-1. That was the only run they got and the game went to the 7th.

Hill came back out for the Yellow Jackets and gave up three walks to load the bases for the Tigers while striking out one. A sac fly gave Clemson a 3-1 lead and that was it for Hill. He was replaced by Jackson Vaughan, who was hoping to not let the lead get too big.

After Vaughan got Tech out of a jam, the Jackets went scoreless in the 7th.

Vaughan made easy work of the Clemson lineup in the 8th and GT went back to work.

Dispigna walked and Compton was hit by a pitch to give GT two baserunners and then Rubenstein pulled the game closer with an RBI single to make it 3-2. That was it for the offense though and Tech went into the final inning trailing by one.

Vaughan came back out for the 9th and was fantastic. He got the game to the bottom of the 9th and GT had a chance to win or tie.

After DeLeo popped out and Campbell struck out, it looked like Georgia Tech would lose another close game. A single from Reid kept the game alive and Parker Brosius came in to pinch run for him. Dispigna hit an RBI single the next at-bat and the game was tied. Finley was intentionally walked, but Compton grounded out to end the 9th. It looked like Georgia Tech was dead in the water, but they found a way to extend the game.

Terry Busse came in for Tech in the 10th and immediately got two strikeouts en route to an easy 1-2-3 inning. The Tech offense could not do anything and the game went another inning.

Busse came back for the 11th and after two quick outs, he found himself in some trouble after two walks. He struck out the final batter though and Tech had yet another chance to win it.

Then the offense got going for the final push.

DeLeo had a leadoff double and then Campbell was intentionally walked. Brosius reached on a fielder's choice, but the first out was recorded as well.

After tying the game with an RBI single, Dispigna came back to the plate with a chance to win it and he did exactly that with an RBI.

The win moves Georgia Tech to 15-7 for the season and 4-3 in the ACC.

Game two is set for 4:00 p.m. tomorrow as Georgia Tech looks to clinch a series win over the Tigers.

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