Georgia Tech Blows 9-3 Lead vs Georgia and Loses Series vs the Bulldogs
After losing a low-scoring battle against the Bulldogs yesterday, Georgia Tech came into today's matchup hoping to get a win against their arch-rival and secure their biggest win of the year.
After a rough pitching outing on Friday night before the game was suspended, Aeden Finateri pitched a fantastic game yesterday. The problem was, that the bats did not show up and Georgia Tech could not get any runners across the plate, leaving quite a few stranded. They were going to need more runs today in their matchup at Coolray Field.
They got more runs today, but what happened was an embarrassing blown lead and it looked more like Georgia Tech teams of the past with their bullpen issues.
Let's recap a tough day.
Logan McGuire took the mound today and there were some tweaks in the lineup for the Yellow Jackets:
1. CF Drew Burress
2. 2B Mike Becchetti
3. SS Payton Green
4. 1B Cam Jones
C Matthew Ellis
5. LF Trey Yunger
6. C Matthew Ellis
7. DH Bobby Zmarzlak
8. 3B Ryan Jaros
9. RF Parker Brosius
It was a 1-2-3 inning for McGuire against the Bulldogs lineup in the top of the 1st inning, allowing Georgia Tech to go to work on offense.
After Burress grounded out to start the bottom of the first, Becchetti singled. Green would strike out the next at-bat, but Jones would draw a walk to put two runners on with two outs.
Like yesterday though, Georgia Tech could not take advantage and it remained 0-0 going to the second inning.
Both teams got base runners in the second inning, but could not score. Yunger had a two-out double for Georgia Tech, but for the second straight inning, they could not get a hit with a runner in scoring position.
McGuire had his best stuff early in this game. He mowed through the Bulldogs lineup in the third inning and was up to five strikeouts while only surrendering two hits.
After failing to get a hit with runners in scoring position in the first two innings, Georgia Tech's offense finally broke through in the 3rd inning.
After a groundout from Burress, Bechetti reached third because of a wild pitch, and then Green was walked to give Georgia Tech runners on the corners. An RBI single from Jones made it 1-0 and then Yunger drove another run in to make it 2-0. After Yunger stole second, Ellis blasted a two-run home run to make it 4-0 and it looked like what you would expect from the Georgia Tech offense. The Yellow Jackets led by four going into the fourth inning.
McGuire picked up two more strikeouts in the top of the fourth inning and the Bulldogs could not manage a hit. Georgia Tech had a chance to add to its lead.
After the first two batters were out, Burress got a double to get another runner in scoring position. Becchetti continued his big day with an RBI single to push the lead to 5-0. Green would walk to give Georgia Tech two runners on base, but Jones struck out to end the 4th inning.
After striking out the first batter, McGuire hit the next one, and that led to Kolby Branch hitting a two-run home run to cut the lead to 5-2. McGuire got through the rest of the inning, but the Bulldogs had hope after getting a couple of runs.
Yunger walked to lead off the bottom of the fifth and then stole second. Two quick outs made it seem unlikely he was going to score, but he stole third and then Jaros hit a two-out RBI single to stretch the lead to 6-2. Brosius flew out to end the inning, but Georgia Tech's lead was back to four.
Riley Stanford entered the game for McGuire at the start of the sixth inning. McGuire struck out nine batters and allowed only three hits and had a fantastic day on the mound.
Stanford had to face UGA superstar and likely top MLB draft pick Charlie Condon for his first batter and Condon hit a home run to make it a 6-3 game.
After recording two outs, Stanford allowed a single and then a walk. That resulted in him being replaced by Ben King. King came in and got the next batter to fly out, ending the inning.
After Georgia switched pitchers, Georgia Tech got back-to-back singles and had runners on first and second with one out. Jones struck out swinging to make it two outs, but Yunger reached on a fielding error that also scored Becchetti to make it 7-3. Ellis walked to load the bases and that prompted Georgia to make another pitching change.
A wild pitch scored Ellis and then Zmarzlak was walked to once again load the bases. A bases-loaded walk scored the next run and made it 9-3 Georgia Tech. After all of that, the Bulldogs made yet another pitching change. They got out of the inning after that, but Georgia Tech had firm control of the game.
King came back out to start the inning but after a leadoff walk, Dawson Brown came in to replace him.
After striking out the first batter, Georgia started to heat up behind the plate.
The Bulldogs got a one-out double that put runners on second and third, then Condon hit an RBI single to make it 9-4. Brown walked the next batter to load the bases up and suddenly, the Bulldogs had a chance to put a big dent in the lead. Danny Hall made another pitching change and put in Brett Thomas.
Then, disaster struck for Georgia Tech.
Thomas allowed a 3-RBI double to cut the score from 9-4 to 9-7, making it four runs in the 7th inning for Georgia. He allowed a single to give the Bulldogs two runners on before Hall made another change. Cam Jones has come in to pitch for the Yellow Jackets before and he was going to need to save them again.
Jones did allow a run, but the inning was soon over. However, the score had been cut to 9-8 with Georgia Tech needing six outs to end the game.
After a 1-2-3 inning for the Yellow Jackets, Jones was back on the mound and looking to prevent Georgia from getting the game tied or getting the lead.
After getting two quick outs, Jones allowed a single and the Bulldogs had the tying run at first with Charlie Condon coming to the plate. Condon flew out though and the Yellow Jackets were three outs away from a big win.
Jones was walked to start the inning and then Georgia made a pitching change. They immediately got their first out before Jones stole second and then stole third. Carsten Sabathia came to the plate to try and drive Jones in, but struck out and the game went to the 9th.
The top of the 9th started off poorly for Jones.
He walked the first two batters and Georgia was in great position to tie or take the lead with no outs.
Georgia got a hit that forced Georgia Tech to make a choice and they got the runner at second. Trey King advanced to third and Josh Stinson reached first. The Yellow Jackets needed two more outs and Georgia had runners on the corners. The next at-bat, Sebastian Murrillo hit a sacrifice fly and King scored to tie the game 9-9. While it was disappointing to allow the Bulldogs to tie the game, they had to prevent them from taking the lead.
Fernando Gonzalez hit an RBI double and the Bulldogs had the lead 10-9. After going up 9-3 late in the game, this was an all-too-familiar feeling for the Yellow Jackets.
Jones was moved back to first base and Mason Patel came in to pitch for Georgia Tech to try and keep the deficit to just one run, but he was unsuccessful in that. Branch hit an RBI single to give Georgia another run and make it 11-9. Patel recorded the final out and Georgia Tech was going to need at least two runs to keep the game going. Jaros, Brosius, and Burress would be up next for the Yellow Jackets.
Jaros and Brosius struck out and it looked like Georgia Tech was going down 1-2-3. Then, Burress singled with two outs and brought Becchetti up to the plate with a chance to even things up. He was not able to and grounded out. Georgia won both games of the series and had it not been for the weather, likely would have been 0-3 against their biggest rival.
Georgia Tech is back in action on Tuesday vs Northeastern.
