April 5, 2014
THE FLATS – Devin Stanton pitched six shutout innings and A.J. Murray had three hits and drove in three runs to lead Georgia Tech to a 5-1 victory over Duke Saturday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium to clinch the ACC series.
Murray ripped a pair of doubles, the second of which being a two-run bullet down the left-field line that made it 5-0 in the seventh inning and posted his sixth career three-hit game.
Matt Gonzalez had three hits and scored twice for Tech, which improved to 18-13 overall and 7-7 in the ACC with its third series win in the last four weekends. Duke slipped to 17-15, 7-7.
The Yellow Jackets, who have already secured Coastal Division series wins over Miami, North Carolina and Duke, will go for the sweep Sunday. The game has been moved to 12 p.m. to avoid impending rain.
Stanton matched his career-high of six innings and tossed a three-hit shutout in another strong outing for the lefty from Lilburn, Ga. He retired the final nine hitters he faced after allowing a leadoff walk to Mark Rosenfeld in the fourth inning. Stanton earned the win (2-1) by striking out four and walking two.
“He did a great job of keeping them off balance all day,” said head coach Danny Hall of Stanton. “We made some nice plays behind and we got some timely hits today. It’s good to know we’ve won the series and hope we can keep that momentum going tomorrow.”
Senior Dusty Isaacs pitched the final three innings, was tagged for a ninth-inning run that spoiled the shutout, but earned his second save.
Brandon Gold, who was on base three times with two singles and a walk, got the third inning started with a single off Andrew Istler. Two batters later, Mott Hyde ripped a single up the middle to put Tech on the board and the Jackets would tack on an RBI single from Thomas Smith and an RBI double from Murray to grab a 3-0 lead.
With Stanton in control, the score remained that way until the seventh when Murray hammered a one-out double down the line in left to score Smith and Matt Gonzalez, who each singled in front of him.
Tech turned its 38th double play of the season in the eighth inning to tie Notre Dame for the ACC lead, and it was a key twin killing as Duke was threatening after back-to-back singles from Kenny Koplove and Mark Lumpa led off the inning.
Gonzalez also gunned down a Blue Devil at the plate in the second, another key defensive play by the Jackets which kept the shutout in order. With Ryan Deitrich at second and two outs, David Perkins singled to left, but Deitrich was gunned at the plate by Gonzalez’s throw for the final out.
That outfield assist was the Yellow Jackets’ NCAA-leading 16th this season, and the seventh by Gonzalez.
Istler, who came on in relief of Duke starter Trent Swart in the third inning, was tagged for 11 hits and five runs in 4.1 innings and was hung the loss (3-4).
