May 1, 2016
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THE FLATS – Matt Gonzalez’s high-arching double off the top of the wall in left-center scored the game-winning run as the 25th-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets posted a 9-8 comeback win Sunday afternoon over No. 15 Coastal Carolina.
Nearly two years to the day, Gonzalez record his second career walk-off hit. On May 2, 2014, he hit a game-winning single in the bottom of the 11th vs. Virginia Tech.
It was Georgia Tech’s (29-14) second walk-off of the season, while Coastal Carolina (31-13) suffered back-to-back losses for only the second time in 2016.
Georgia Tech was faced with its third weather-halted game of the season. On April 1, Georgia Tech’s series opener vs. Duke was stopped due to rain. Last weekend’s series opener at Clemson was also stopped due to lightning and rain.
THE BASICS
• Georgia Tech leads the all-time series 17-7 and the Yellow Jackets improved to 15-5 all-time at home vs. the Chanticleers.
• Georgia Tech is now 16-13 when the Yellow Jackets do not score in the 1st inning.
• Georgia Tech is 19-7 at Russ Chandler Stadium this season.
• Georgia Tech is 14-3 when scoring 8+ runs in a game this season.
• Saturday’s game experienced two weather delays. Play was stopped at 4:29 p.m. and resumed at 5:35 p.m. (delay time 66 minutes. The second delay began at 6:18 p.m. Saturday and the game was postponed at 8 p.m. Play resumed at 11:03 a.m. Sunday. The total delay time was 2 hours and 51 minutes.
• Georgia Tech is 2-13 when opponents score eight or more runs, snapping a streak of nine straight losses.
• Saturday marked the 36th different lineup for the Yellow Jackets in 43 games.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Coastal Carolina jumped on top 1-0 thanks to G.K. Young’s 1-out solo home run to right-center in the top of the 1st inning.
• Tyler Chadwick’s solo homer in the 2nd gave Coastal a 2-0 lead.
• With two outs in the bottom of the 2nd, the game endured its first weather delay. When play resumed, Joey Bart hit an RBI double to left for Tech’s first run. Brandt Stallings tied the game with an RBI single through the left side.
• Tech took its first lead of the lead in the 3rd, 5-2. Kel Johnson plated two runs with a 2-RBI single to right. Trevor Craport followed with an RBI single to give Tech its third run of the inning.
• Play was stopped a second time in the top of the 4th when Coastal Carolina had the bases loaded with one out. When play resumed Sunday, the Chanticleers scored five in the 4th, including a pinch-hit grand slam by Kevin Woodall.
• Coastal Carolina added another solo home run in the 7th for an 8-5 lead.
• Georgia Tech trailed by three runs as it opened the 9th with a lead-off double by Stallings. Ryan Peurifoy scored Stallings with an RBI single up the middle. After a Coastal pitching change, Connor Justus hit the game-tying 2-run home run. After a Carter Hall single up the middle, Gonzalez plated Hall for the game-winning run on a towering double off the top of the wall in left-center.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Matt Gonzalez posted his 17th multi-hit game of the season (sixth 3-hit game) and 75th of his career.
• All nine Tech batters recorded at least one hit in the game.
• Georgia Tech recorded 10+ hits for the 27th time this season.
• Georgia Tech has allowed 5+ runs in an inning 14 times (13 games). Tech is now 3-10 when allowing 5+ runs in an inning.
• Matt Gonzalez, Trevor Craport, Tristin English and Brandt Stallings each extended their current hit streak. Gonzalez and Craport now stand at 9 games, English at 8 and Stallings at 6.
• Freshman Carter Hall made his second consecutive start at 2nd base.
• Connor Justus hit his ninth career home run in the 9th
• Connor Justus (82 games) and Kel Johnson (36 games) each extended their career-best consecutive starts streaks on Saturday vs. Coastal Carolina.
UP NEXT
No. 25 Georgia Tech and No. 15 Coastal Carolina will conclude its three-game series at 2:05 p.m. Sunday. The game will broadcast live on ESPN3 and 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.
