Feb. 13, 2015
FINAL:
Georgia Tech 17, St. John’s 3 (Atlanta, Ga. – Russ Chandler Stadium)
TECH STARTERS:
Spingola/CF, Smith/1B, Gonzalez/LF, Johnson/RF, Murray/DH, Justus/SS, Bailey/2B, Gold/3B, Pabst/C, King/P.
ST. JOHN’S STARTERS:
Caruso/CF, Dennis/DH, Donadio/LF, Mederos/SS, Harris/1B, Lauricella/RF, Sanchez/C, Knightes/3B, Blankmeyer/2B, McCormick/S.
THE BASICS:
Georgia Tech opened the 2015 season with a decisive 17-3 rout of St. John’s on Friday night at Russ Chandler. Junior lefty Jonathan King pitched five innings to get the win and was backed by a 19-hit attack that included home runs from Kel Johnson, Brandon Gold and Blake Jackson.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• St. John’s pushed a run across in the top of the first, but Georgia Tech answered with a six-run, five-hit first inning, thanks to Gold’s first-career home run — a three-run blast to right.
• A sacrifice fly from Matt Gonzalez and a Johnson RBI double made it 8-2 in the second inning.
• Johnson’s two-run bomb to right field highlighted a five-run seventh inning and Jackson’s first career blast — a solo shot — was part of a four-run eighth inning that capped the scoring.
• Making his second straight opening-day start but pitching for the first time since last March (shoulder), King tossed five innings to earn the victory.
• King allowed three hits and three runs (two earned) with one walk and three strikeouts to win his ninth career game.
• Sophomore Ben Schniederjans worked three innings of scoreless relief with two punchouts and rookie Patrick Wiseman closed the game with a scoreless ninth.
• St. John’s did not have a runner advance past first base after the fourth inning.
• The loss was pinned on SJU starter Ryan McCormick who allowed eight runs on seven hits in two innings of work.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Tech improved to 17-5 on Opening Day under head coach Danny Hall and has won seven straight at home at Opening Day.
• Johnson’s four hits were the most by a Yellow Jacket in a season opener since at least 2000, and the most by a Jacket freshman on opening day since Derik Goffena had four versus UCLA in 1998.
• Tech’s 17 runs were one shy of the program’s opening-day record of 18 versus Stetson in 1951 (an 18-7) and versus Cincinnati in 1921 (an 18-0 win).
• The 17 runs were the most scored by the Jackets since a 17-6 win over Virginia in the 2012 ACC Tournament in Greensboro.
• The three home runs were the most hit by the Yellow Jackets in a game since hitting four at Miami in 2013. Tech did not have a three-homer game last year.
• Six different Jackets recorded multi-hit games — Johnson (4), senior Thomas Smith (3), sophomore Connor Justus (2), freshman Wade Bailey (2), Gold (2) and sophomore Arden Pabst (2).
• Smith finished 3-for-4 and scored a career-high four runs.
• The three-inning relief stint by Schniederjans was a career high.
• Of Tech’s 19 hits — its most since 19 versus USF last season — seven went for extra bases.
QUOTABLE
• “Certainly it was a good first inning offensively for us and I thought King and Schniederjans threw the ball well. A lot of different guys got hits so definitely a good way to start the season. The nice thing about scoring a lot of runs was that we got to get a lot of guys in the mix. It was great to see King back on the mound and he’s going to be a valuable part of what we’re doing here. He’s a great kid that works extremely hard and happy to see him back.” — head coach Danny Hall
• “It felt great just to get out that and get this White and Gold on. It was an honor just to be in the lineup on Opening Day and get a win. Felt some jitters in my first at bat for sure, but took some deep breaths and after that I felt fine.” — freshman RF Kel Johnson
UP NEXT
• Georgia Tech hosts Fordham tomorrow in a doubleheader at Russ Chandler Stadium. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.
