STATESBORO, Ga. – Faced with a five-run deficit early, Georgia Tech baseball rallied for a complete-team win, defeating in-state foe Georgia Southern, 8-6, on Tuesday night at J.I. Clements Stadium.
The 22nd-ranked Yellow Jackets (4-0) got a huge lift from its bullpen after starter freshman RHP Luke Schmolke was unable to get out of the first inning. RHP Aeden Finateri came in and settled the game, allowing just one unearned run on four hits in 3.0 innings to start the game, striking out four as well.
Then the bullpen clamped down even more as LHP Cody Carwile (1-0) came in to pitch 2.0 hitless innings with four strikeouts as well to pick up his first win of the season. Slamming the door shut would be the one-two punch of LHP Joseph Mannelly and sophomore RHP Terry Busse.
Mannelly allowed just two hits and no walks as he struck out three in the sixth and seventh before Busse struck out two and allowed just two hits in the eighth and ninth to get his second save of the year.
At the plate, timely hitting and grinded-out at-bats powered the Jackets’ offense. In the next half inning after facing a 5-0 deficit, freshman catcher Tyler Minnick launched his first collegiate home run – a three-run blast – to pull Tech within one after Jack Rubenstein had already scored from second on a single from Jadyn Jackson.
After the Eagles (2-2) got one back in the bottom of the second, freshman Brant Baughcum then hit a sac fly to answer. That set up the three-run homer from Nicholas Romano in the fifth inning to seal the win for Georgia Tech.
Romano finished 2-for-3 with the three RBI, while Angelo Dispigna also had two hits on the night.
Southern was led by Zane Faulk, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. LHP Mitchell Gross (1-1) received the loss, allowing three runs on three hits in 3.0 innings in relief.
Georgia Tech returns home for its second three-game series of the season when it hosts Tennessee Tech at Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium on Feb. 24-26. First pitch on Friday is set for 4 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra.
Postgame Notes:
- Georgia Tech starts the season 4-0 for the first time since 2017;
- Tyler Minnick hit his first collegiate home run of his career;
- Georgia Tech turned two double plays on the night, giving them six on the season;
- Georgia Tech’s bullpen combined for 9.0 innings, eight hits, no earned runs, five walks and 13 strikeouts;
- Georgia Tech’s pitching and defense stranded 13 Georgia Southern batters on base for the game.
Multimedia:
Postgame Interview with Coach Hall
Around Social Media
4️⃣-0️⃣#WreckHavoc pic.twitter.com/m1RMG38uhO
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) February 22, 2023
⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️@terrybusse | #WreckHavoc pic.twitter.com/jOqjkcpNqo
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) February 22, 2023
Swinging bunt? Ordinary. Making the play with a bare-handed snag? Legendary. @josephbmannelly | #WreckHavoc pic.twitter.com/rVknLuoiu0
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) February 22, 2023
JOE MAN 💪 Next up to put a zero on the home side for Tech@josephbmannelly | #WreckHavoc pic.twitter.com/gZtZPTmOEu
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) February 22, 2023
Strikeout No. 4️⃣ for Cody and he holds strong 💪 pic.twitter.com/yyjcFUJYg5
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) February 22, 2023
ROMANO DEEP BOMB AND TECH LEADS!! 🤌🤌🤌@Nicholas9Romano | #WreckHavoc pic.twitter.com/EXuwhNfphr
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) February 22, 2023
One of 2️⃣ strikeouts for Cody Carwile to add a clean fourth 💪 pic.twitter.com/AeJVL8R2Kb
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) February 22, 2023
GOT EM! @aeden_finateri holds strong a scoreless third to keep it a one-run game pic.twitter.com/eNngVLkksC
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) February 22, 2023
TYLER MINNICK FIRST COLLEGE 💣 !!@TylerMinnick7 | #WreckHavoc pic.twitter.com/u0Hsem09VT
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) February 21, 2023
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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