March 30, 2018
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s Xzavion Curry struck out a career-high 12 batters to lead the Yellow Jackets to a 6-1 win over the Miami Hurricanes in Atlantic Coast Conference play on Friday night at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The 12 strikeouts tops Curry’s previous record of 11, which he posted exactly one week ago in the Jackets’ road win at NC State. Curry is also the second-straight Tech starter to record double digit strikeouts in a game, as Brant Hurter fanned 10 batters in the win over Georgia Southern on Tuesday night.
The win pushes Tech to 15-11 overall and 4-6 in the ACC, while the Canes fall to 12-13 overall and 6-4 in league play with the loss.
Curry (6-0) remained unbeaten on the season, as the Tech ace gave up just one run on six hits and one walk, while striking out 12 over a season-high 8.0 complete innings.
The start was Curry’s fourth quality start of the season and the team’s seventh of the year. Georgia Tech is 6-1 on the year in those contests.
The loss went to Miami’s Jeb Bargfeldt (2-3), who gave up five runs on 10 hits, one walk and three strikeouts over 5.0 innings.
The Jackets’ 1-5 hitters were a combined 11-for-22 (.500) with three RBIs and five runs scored led by the three, four and five hitters in Tristin English (2-for-3, HR, BB, 3 RBIs, run), Kyle McCann (3-for-4, 3 runs) and Wade Bailey (3-for-5, 2B).
For Miami, two players had two hits apiece in Michael Perez (2-for-4, RBI) and Willy Escala (2-for-3), as all seven of the Canes’ hits were singles.
After a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the first by Curry, in which the righty struck out the final two Miami batters of the first frame, the Jackets’ got a two-run home run over the right field wall in the bottom half of the first to take an early 2-0 lead.
Miami got one run back in the top of the second on three singles, the third one being an RBI base hit by Perez, to cut the Tech lead in half at 2-1.
However, the White and Gold got the run back in the bottom half of the inning, as Luke Waddell tripled down the right field line. Center fielder Michael Guldberg then doubled in pinch runner Oscar Serratos from third to put the Jackets in front at 3-1 heading into the third inning of play.
Tech tacked on a run in the third and another score in the fifth to push its lead out to 5-1 after five complete innings.
That was all that Curry would need, as the Tech ace stranded one Miami runner on base in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings, before capping off his night with a 1-2-3 inning and a pair of strikeouts in the eighth.
The White and Gold picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a hit batsman, as English was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give the home team a 6-1 lead.
Senior Jared Datoc then used just six pitches in the ninth to pitch around a Miami bunt hit, by getting a line out to left field and a 6-4-3 double play to end the game with Tech on top.
Tech had five extra base hits and left 11 runners on base. Miami had seven singles and left seven runners on base on the night.
The Jackets (15-11, 4-6 ACC) and Canes (12-13, 6-4 ACC) will return to the diamond tomorrow afternoon for game two. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. ET.
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Xzavion Curry with a career-high 12 Ks in the Jackets’ 6-1 win at home over the Miami Hurricanes on Friday night. #TogetherWeSwarm pic.twitter.com/8jGr3ZCvr1
— GeorgiaTech Baseball (@GTBaseball) March 31, 2018
