March 7, 2015
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Box Score | Photos TECH STARTERS: Spingola/CF, Smith/2B, Johnson/RF, Murray/DH, Gold/1B, Bailey/SS, Innis/LF, Gonzalez/3B, Pabst/C, Pitts/SP.
ND STARTERS: Johnson/LF, Fiala/3B, Biggio/2B, Bull/DH, Youngdahl/RF, Lidge/C, Kutsulis/1B, Richards/SS, Hudgins/CF, Bielak/SP.
THE BASICS:
• Matt Gonzalez and A.J. Murray both hit home runs as Georgia Tech evened its ACC series versus Notre Dame with an 11-7 victory on Saturday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium.
• Murray drove in four runs, Gonzalez scored three times and the 11 runs were the most allowed by Notre Dame this season.
• The Yellow Jackets improved to 10-4 overall and 1-1 in the ACC, while the Fighting Irish slipped to 11-2, 1-1 to snap their 10-game winning streak.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
• Murray’s fourth home run of the season was a two-run shot to left that gave the Jackets a 2-0 lead in the first inning and he followed in the fifth with a two-run double to left that made it 6-2.
• Gonzalez went the opposite way for his first home run of the season that hugged the right-field pole and made it 7-3 in the sixth.
• Notre Dame pulled within 7-5 in the seventh before Kel Johnson cleared the bases with a three-run triple that banged off the wall in the left during a four-run frame in the eighth that slammed the door on Notre Dame.
• Gonzalez and Daniel Spingola each had three-hit games, while Murray, Johnson, Thomas Smith and Keenan Innis each had two of Tech’s 14 hits.
• The top four hitters in Tech’s lineup (Spingola, Smith, Johnson and Murray) were a combined 9-for-18 with six runs and 10 RBI.
• Johnson has hit safely in five straight games — the second extended hitting streak this season, after opening his career with a seven-game streak.
• The three RBI for Spingola tied a career high.
• Ryan Bull was 3-for-5 to pace Notre Dame, while Ryan Lidge and Conor Biggio each drove in a pair.
• Reliever Zac Ryan was credited with the victory (3-0), tossing 2.2 innings with four hits and two runs. Starter Cole Pitts worked 4.1 innings with three hits and two runs in the no decision.
• ND starter Brandon Bielak was on the hook for the loss (2-1), allowing eight hits and six runs in 4.2 innings.
QUOTEABLE:
• “It was important that we got the lead early, which we did to force them to play catch up. It was good to see Matt Gonzalez back and the top of our order seemed like they were on base all day. Kel Johnson had a really good day knocking some guys in as did A.J. Murray. Every time they score, we answered and it was important to take that momentum away from them. We evened the series now we have a chance to win it tomorrow.”
–Head Coach Danny Hall
UP NEXT:
The Yellow Jackets and the Fighting Irish play the rubber game of the series Sunday at 1 p.m. at Russ Chandler Stadium.
