All Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech Gets Game One Win Over No. 9 Duke 11-8

Jackson Caudell

After losing the series to Clemson last week and then the midweek game to Auburn, Georgia Tech came into this weekend's series vs No. 9 Duke needing a good performance.

While it was not always perfect, they did their jobs tonight. The pitching was shaky early on, but they settled in to get the win, while the offense was strong for most of the night. It was a big night for John Giesler and Matthew Ellis and tomorrow afternoon, Georgia Tech can go for the series win over the Blue Devils.

The biggest news tonight was that Georgia Tech secured a spot in the ACC Championship with a win tonight.

Here is how they got the win tonight.

Here was the lineup tonight for the Yellow Jackets:

1. LF Trey Yunger

2. CF Drew Burress

3. DH Matthew Ellis

4. 1B John Giesler

5. SS Payton Green

6. RF Cam Jones

7. 2B Mike Becchetti

8. 3B Carson Kerce

9. C Vahn Lackey

Aeden Finateri was on the mound.

The game did not start off well for Finateri.

He walked the leadoff batter and then gave up a single to put runners on the corners and then gave up a three-run home run to give the Blue Devils an early 3-0 lead. He got a pair of strikeouts, but walked another batter and a single to give Duke two more base runners. An RBI single gave Duke a 4-0 lead before Finateri could record the final out. It was still the first inning and Georgia Tech had already dug themselves into a big hole.

The Yellow Jackets got some runs back in the bottom of the 1st .

After Yunger and Burress got out, Ellis walked and then Giesler hit a huge two-run home run to cut the lead to 4-2.

Green flew out to end the inning, but the lead was cut in half going into the 2nd inning.

Finateri got through the 2nd inning with only giving up a single and a walk, but Georgia Tech did not get a hit in the bottom of the 2nd. It remained 4-2 heading to the 3rd.

Finateri gave up a leadoff single to start the third, then struck a batter out. Another single gave Duke two runners on, but Finateri was able to strike another batter out. He needed just one more out to end the top of the 3rd, but a single scored another runner and extended the lead to 5-2.

Georgia Tech had work to do, but they did not waste much time.

Duke made a pitching change and then Becchetti singled. A sac fly from Kerce gave Georgia Tech the lead 6-5 going to the 4th inning. It was an awesome inning for the offense.

After striking out the leadoff batter, Finateri hit the next one and then gave up a two-run home run to give Duke the lead back. His day was done after that and Riley Stanford came in to relieve him. He gave up a single and walked a batter, but got the final two outs to get the Yellow Jackets offense back to the plate.

Duke made another pitching change and then Burress struck out to start the inning. Ellis stepped up to the plate with a chance to tie the game and he did just that, blasting a huge home run.

Giesler and Green popped out to end the inning, but Georgia Tech tied it 7-7 going to the 5th.

Dawson Brown came in to pitch in place of Stanford and got an easy 1-2-3 inning.

Cam Jones had a leadoff single to start the bottom of the 5th and then he stole second. An RBI single from Becchetti scored Jones and gave Georgia Tech the lead back 8-7. It was the only run of the inning, but it was the only one they needed.

Brown had a strong 6th inning, giving up only a walk. Georgia Tech had a chance to add onto their lead.

Burress had a leadoff single in the bottom of the 6th and after Ellis fouled out, Giesler had an RBI double to extend Georgia Tech's lead to 9-7. It was the only run of the inning, but the Yellow Jackets had the momentum in the game and needed only nine more outs to secure a victory.

Ben King came in the game and struck out three straight batters to send the game to the bottom of the 7th. It was a 1-2-3 inning for Georgia Tech however and it remained 9-7 going to the 8th inning.

Brett Thomas came in to replace King and he did not have a great inning. He walked the first batter then gave up a single to give Duke two base runners. The next batter grounded into a double play, but advanced one runner to third. An RBI single cut the Yellow Jackets lead to 9-8, but Thomas got the final out, getting the game to the bottom of the 8th.

The Yellow Jackets offense had been humming all game and that did not stop in the bottom of the 8th.

Lackey walked to start the inning and then Yunger grounded out. Burress was then intentionally walked and then both runners advanced due to a wild pitch. Ellis cashed in with an RBI single and then Giesler did the same and all of a sudden Georgia Tech had an 11-8 lead. They did not add any more runs and it was up to Thomas to close the game out.

He did just that.

It was a 1-2-3 inning for Thomas and Georgia Tech secured a needed win over No. 9 Duke. There is still work to be done to ensure they make the NCAA Tournament, but this was a good win for the home team.

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Jackson Caudell

JACKSON CAUDELL

Jackson Caudell covers Georgia Tech Athletics and the Atlanta Hawks for FanNation