May 6, 2015
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TECH STARTERS: Bailey/2B, Smith/1B, Gonzalez/LF, Murray/RF, Johnson/DH, Peurifoy/CF, Pabst/C, Jackson/3B, Justus/SS, Gooden/SP.
MU STARTERS: Meeder/SS, Bonin/2B, Lewis/CF, Ware/LF, Truitt/RF, Edgeworth/3B, Joe/1B, Madden/C, Moorhouse/DH, Askew/SP.
THE BASICS:
• Georgia Tech rallied with five runs in the ninth, after Mercer had taken a lead in the eighth, and pulled out a 9-7 comeback victory over the Bears Wednesday night at Claude Smith Field in Macon, Ga.
• Arden Pabst’s two-run single in the ninth broke the 7-7 tie to help lift Tech to its fifth straight win.
• The victory allowed the Yellow Jackets to sweep the two-game season series from Mercer and improve to 30-17 overall, while the Bears fell to 29-20.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Connor Justus, who finished the night a career-best 4-for-5, kick-started Tech in the ninth with a single up the middle.
• Justus was the first of five straight Jackets to reach in the ninth as Wade Bailey followed with a double and Thomas Smith walked to load the bases. Matt Gonzalez hammered a two-run single up the middle to pull Tech within 7-6 and Kel Johnson’s bases-loaded walk tied the game.
• With one out, Pabst rifled an offering Mercer pitcher Morgan Pittman into left, scoring two for the 9-7 lead.
• Sophomore Zac Ryan pitched the final two innings for the Jackets, but had to bounce back in the ninth after giving up a two-out grand slam to Devin Bonin that gave the hosts their first lead since 1-0 in the first.
• The game was a home-run fest early as Matt Meeder led off the game with a solo shot to right.
• Ryan Peurifoy followed in the second with a two-run laser off the scoreboard in left — his second homer in as many games.
• Gonzalez’s RBI single with two outs in the third extended Tech’s lead to 3-1, but another solo shot — this one from Kyle Lewis in the third made it 3-2.
• Mercer drew even in the fifth, but the Jackets reclaimed a 4-3 lead in the seventh thanks to an RBI double from Bailey.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
• Tech won at Mercer for the first time since 2010 and swept the season series after winning 4-3 in Atlanta in April. Tech is now 7-1 versus in-state teams this season and battles Georgia next Tuesday at Turner Field at 7 p.m. looking to win that series.
• The victory was the Jackets’ 17th come-from-behind win this season and the fourth time Tech has won when trailing entering the ninth inning.
• Tech is now out-scoring the opposition 80-36 in the eighth inning and beyond this year.
• Tech used nine pitchers in the game, but Ryan pitched the final two frames and earned his ACC-leading ninth win (9-1).
• Justus finished a career-best 4-for-5, becoming the fourth Jacket this season to record a four-hit game.
• Peurifoy, Bailey and Gonzalez each had two of Tech’s 13 hits.
• Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 10 games and recorded his 200th career hit with his RBI single in the third. He finished with three RBI.
• Peurifoy’s hitting streak reached seven games.
• The loss fell to Pittman (2-2), who was on the hook for two runs on three hits in the ninth.
QUOTABLE:
“It looked like we were down for the count in the ninth, but CJ (Connor Justus) had great night offensively and got us started. Wade Bailey with a big hit and Smitty got on there and we were able to get some runs. Wish we didn’t have to win all these games this way, but it’s nice to know we can come from behind when we get down.”
— Head Coach Danny Hall
UP NEXT: The Yellow Jackets host Pitt in a crucial ACC series at Russ Chandler Stadium. Friday’s series-opener is set for 7 p.m.
