March 18, 2018
Nick Wilhite’s Great Diving Grab in center field
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech scored 10 runs over the first four innings of play en route to a 10-6 ACC win over the Virginia Tech Hokies on Sunday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The win gave the Jackets the series victory over the Hokies and pushed head coach Danny Hall‘s wins total to 999 as the head coach for the White and Gold.
With a major shakeup in the batting order for the first time all season, the Jackets had six different players record multiple hits for the game headlined by sophomore duo Kyle McCann (3-for-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBIs, 2 runs) and Chase Murray (3-for-5, 2 2Bs, 3 runs).
GT’s Joey Bart (1-for-5, HR, 2 RBIs) and Tristin English (2-for-5, 2 RBIs) both drove in two RBIs on the day, while infielders Wade Bailey (2-for-5, RBI, 3 runs, SB) and Luke Waddell (1-for-4, RBI) each had an RBI in the win.
The Hokies had nine hits for the game, five of which came in the seventh inning alone. Nick Menken (2-for-5) had two hits on the day, while Joe Freiday, Jr. (1-for-2, HR) hit a three-run home run.
Making his first career start on the mound, English went 3.0 innings allowing just one run on three hits, one walk and one strikeout, before giving way to sophomore Andy Archer (2-0) who picked up his second win of the season by throwing 2.0-scoreless innings with one walk and two punch outs.
The save went to Jared Datoc (2), as the senior entered the game with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh and pitched 2.2-scoreless innings, while striking out three to help preserve the win for the White and Gold.
The loss fell to VT’s Luke Scherzer (0-1), as the starter gave up three runs, two of which were earned, on four hits, a walk and a strikeout over 1.0 inning.
For the third-straight game, the Yellow Jackets found themselves down early, as Virginia Tech took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly.
The home team answered with three RBI singles from McCann, English and Waddell to put the White and Gold in front at 3-1 after one inning of play.
The Jackets would not relinquish the lead, as Tech scored four runs in the bottom of the second on a pair of two-run home runs by Bart and McCann, and then plated two more runs in the third on an RBI single from Bailey and another one from English to push their lead out to eight at 9-1 heading into the fourth.
An Austin Wilhite lead-off double to right field and a Virginia Tech throwing error in the bottom of the fourth, allowed Wilhite to score from second and put the Jackets on top at 10-1.
After holding VT to just one run on five hits over the first sixth innings of play, the Hokies broke out in the top of the seventh with some key placed hits, timely hitting and a little help from the Jackets.
The Hokies opened up the inning with a hit batter, a ground-rule double and a fielding error to score two runs and cut the home team’s lead to seven at 10-3.
Following another hit batter, Freiday, Jr. blasted a three-run home run over the right center field wall to put the score at 10-6.
A Georgia Tech strikeout got the first out of the inning, but did not slow down the Hokies’ momentum, as the visitors in orange loaded the bases with three straight singles and brought the tying run to the plate.
That’s when Coach Hall and the Jackets went to the senior righty, as Datoc got a ground ball to third base where Waddell fielded it and threw to Bart at home plate to get the lead runner and then ended the inning with a strikeout to keep the score at 10-6.
The two teams would go down in order 1-2-3 the rest of the way, as the Jackets picked up the 10-6 win to take the weekend three-game series 2-1.
Six of the Jackets’ 15 hits were extra base hits, while GT stranded eight runners compared to the Hokies’ eight.
The Yellow Jackets (11-8, 2-4 ACC) continue their homestand with back-to-back midweek games on Tuesday and Wednesday versus Auburn and Mercer. First pitch for both games will be 6 p.m.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech baseball team, follow us on Twitter (@GTBaseball), Facebook, Instagram (@gt_baseball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
Jared Datoc was all smiles postgame with Wiley Ballard after the Jackets’ 10-6 over the Hokies on Sunday. #TogetherWeSwarm pic.twitter.com/aOkDui0N5L
— GeorgiaTech Baseball (@GTBaseball) March 18, 2018
