Jackets Fall on Senior Day to No. 10 Duke

THANK YOU WADE BAILEY!!!!
In his final at bat at Russ Chandler Stadium Wader did this …. pic.twitter.com/xgraijj6yX

— GeorgiaTech Baseball (@GTBaseball) May 19, 2018

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech baseball wrapped up its 2018 regular season slate with a 12-5 home loss to the No. 10 Duke Blue Devils on Saturday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium. The Jackets took the three-game ACC series win at 2-1 over the nationally ranked Blue Devils and finished the season at 25-10 overall in games played at Russ Chandler Stadium.

Prior to the game, the baseball program recognized its six seniors in Wade Bailey, Jared Datoc, Kel Johnson, Johnathan Langley, Ben Schniederjans and Patrick Wiseman as part of the Senior Day festivities.

In his final at-bat as a Yellow Jacket at Russ Chandler Stadium, Bailey (2-for-5, HR, 2 RBIs, run) hit a home run to left field and was met at the plate by all of his teammates. With his two hits on the day, Bailey has now hit safely in 11-straight games, reached base safely in 26-straight contests, and now sits at 289 career base hits.

First baseman Kyle McCann (1-for-3, BB, 2 RBIs) and freshman Luke Waddell (2-for-2, RBI) combined to drive in the other three runs for the Jackets for the game, while junior catcher Joey Bart (0-for-2, 2 BB, run) reached base twice on two base-on-balls. With a single for the game, Colin Hall (1-for-4) has now reached base in a career-high 18-straight games.

Duke was led offensively by Griffin Conine (2-for-2, 2 HR, 2 BB, 5 RBIs) who had not one, but two home runs in the win, while fellow senior Zack Kone (3-for-5, 2B, RBI, 3 runs) had a game-high three base hits.

Brant Hurter (5-4) was handed the loss, as the freshman gave up five runs on five hits, one walk, two hit batters and two strikeouts over 2.0-complete innings.

Duke’s Bryce Jarvis (4-1) picked up the win in a relief effort, as he held Tech to just one run on two hits, two walks and four strikeouts over 2.2 innings of work.

Just like in the previous two games of the three-game series, the Blue Devils jumped out to a first-inning lead, as the visitors took advantage of two hit batsmen to get a two-out, two-run RBI single to center field to take a 2-0 lead right out of the gates.

The Blue Devils added to its lead with a three-run home run to deep center field one inning later to take a 5-0 advantage, before the Jackets were able to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third on a two-run RBI single from McCann to put the score at 5-2 in favor of the Blue Devils after three innings of play.

Duke used the long ball again in the top of the fourth, this time a two-run shot from Conine following an RBI single to score three in the inning, and then pushed across three more runs with two outs in the top of the sixth to run out to an 11-2 lead midway through the sixth.

Tech’s Waddell drove in a run with a pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the sixth; however, Duke capped the scoring off with an unearned in the eighth to put score at 12-3.

In the bottom of the ninth, with one on and two outs, Bailey hit an 0-2 pitch deep to left field that hit high off the side of the John and Mary Brock Football Facility to put the final score at 12-5, but more importantly end his Tech career at Russ Chandler Stadium on a memorable note.

Georgia Tech (31-25, 14-16 ACC) will now set its sights on the 2018 ACC Baseball Championships, which will start on Tuesday, May 22, in Durham, N.C. The tournament seeding will be announced later tonight from the ACC office.

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