March 1, 2016
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THE FLATS – Georgia Tech scored a combined eight runs in the fourth and fifth innings Tuesday as the 13th-ranked Yellow Jackets muscled their way past Georgia State 11-6 at Russ Chandler Stadium.
With the win, Georgia Tech (8-0) is 8-0 start the season for the first time since 2006 when the Jackets started that year 16-0. Tech has now won 18 straight nonconference home games at Russ Chandler Stadium.
THE LINEUPS
Georgia State – Jaylen Woullard LF, Justin Jones SS, Ryan Blanton CF, Jarrett Hood 3B, Joey Roach C, Zach Wingate DH, Will Kilgore 2B, Jack Thompson 1B, Will Johnson RF, Garrett Ford P
Georgia Tech – Wade Bailey 2B, Connor Justus SS, Matt Gonzalez 3B, Kel Johnson LF, Brandon Gold 1B, Tristin English DH, Brandt Stallings RF, Joey Bart C, Ryan Peurifoy CF, Pole Pitts P
THE BASICS
• Georgia Tech now leads the all-time series 62-10.
• Georgia Tech has won six straight over Georgia State and is now 36-4 at home vs. the Panthers.
• Tech head coach Danny Hall is now 39-6 all-time vs. GSU.
• Danny Hall posted his 1,139th career victory and 931st at Georgia Tech.
• Tech is now 294-100 all-time in the month of March under Hall.
• Tech is now 192-70 under Hall against in-state schools and 148-53 since 1999.
• Georgia Tech is 858-251-1 all-time at Russ Chandler Stadium (since 1985).
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Georgia State scored three runs in the first inning on Joey Roach’s 3-run home run to left field.
• The Yellow Jackets answered with two runs in the bottom of the first thanks to Brandon Gold’s 2-run double down the right field line.
• Tech took its first lead in the fourth and never looked back. Gold drilled a one-out single up the middle and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Tristin English then drew a walk before freshman Brandt Stallings crushed a 3-run bomb to right-center for a 5-3 lead.
• The Jackets broke the game open with a 5-run fifth inning. Kel Johnson started the scoring with a one-out RBI single up the middle. English followed with an RBI sacrifice fly for a 7-3 lead. Stallings drove in his fourth run of the evening with a RBI single to center. Joey Bart closed the scoring with a 2-RBI single to right field for a 10-3 Tech lead.
• Georgia State pulled to within five, 10-5, on Jack Thompson’s 2-run home run in the sixth.
• GSU and Tech traded runs in the eighth. Nick Gatewood plated the Panthers’ final run of the night with a pinch-hit RBI single. Connor Justus posted the Jackets’ 11th run with an RBI double down the right field line.
QUOTE BOARD
“It was a rough start (by Cole Pitts), but he settled in, made some really good pitches after that. I thought (Ben) Parr was good, just made one bad pitch. I thought we had better swings up and down the order throughout the night.” – Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall on the Jackets’ pitching and hitting in Tuesday’s win
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Tech starting pitcher Cole Pitts went a season-long 4.0 innings with seven strikeouts, one shy of his career high.
• LHP Ben Parr struck out batters in 2.0 innings, earning his second win of the season and 12th of his career.
• Georgia Tech’s double-play duo of 2B Wade Bailey and SS Connor Justus combined to go 4-for-7 at the plate with three runs scored.
• Junior 1B Brandon Gold went 2-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored.
• Freshman RF Brandt Stallings went 2-for-4 with a home run and a career-high four RBI.
• Freshman C Joey Bart drove in a career-best two runs.
• Georgia Tech has now scored 31 of its 63 runs this season in either the fourth (15) or eighth (16) innings.
UP NEXT
No. 17 Georgia Tech concludes its seven-game homestand this weekend with a three-game set against Western Carolina (Friday – 4 p.m., Saturday – 2 p.m., Sunday – 1 p.m.). Fans can watch the game live on RamblinWreck.com or listen to WREK 91.1 FM.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on Twitter (@GTBaseball), Facebook (facebook.com/GTbaseball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
