THE FLATS – With two outs in the bottom of the 10th and runners at the corners, Georgia Tech sophomore outfielder Parker Brosius laid down a perfect bunt single on a 3-1 pitch to drive home Vahn Lackey from third and walk off Presbyterian, 9-8, on Tuesday night at Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The Yellow Jackets (17-10) showed grit and determination all night, scoring a run in five-straight innings after falling behind early to keep within striking distance.
LHP Brett Barfield and RHP Michal Kovala steadied the game on the mound after the Blue Hose (13-16) amassed an 8-4 lead, combining for 1.2 innings to get out of a jam and throw up zeroes when Tech needed them. Then veteran right-hander Dawson Brown (1-0) came in to dominate the final 3.0 innings for his first win of the season, mowing down all nine batters he faced and striking out seven.
Facing an 8-5 deficit entering the bottom of the ninth, Matthew Ellis breathed life into the dugout with a leadoff home run – his fifth of the season. But a flyout and a groundout out brought forth an even more daunting two-out, nobody-on situation for the Jackets.
Freshman Carson Kerce then worked a six-pitch at-bat for a walk to give Tech a base-runner before Brosius was hit by a pitch, giving them two. Freshman Ryan Jaros – who had only entered the game in the top-half of the inning as a defensive substitution – came through in the clutch, smacking a 2-2 pitch up the middle to draw ever-closer, pulling Tech within one.
A wild pitch would bring the house to a frenzy, allowing Jaros to move to third and Brosius to second, before veteran Trey Yunger drew a full-count, seven-pitch at-bat for a walk to load up the bases. Drew Burress then battled in another pressure-packed AB, working a nine-pitch at-bat where Burress faced two strikes for the final four pitches – still with two outs – to draw the RBI walk to tie the game.
Ellis would once again ignite the Georgia Tech dugout to lead off the 10th inning, belting a stand-up double to left center to put the winning run 180 feet away. Payton Green then laid down a terrific sacrifice bunt to push Lackey – who pinch ran for Ellis – to 90 feet away. After a strikeout and a full-count walk from Kerce. Brosius delivered the knockout blow to seal the win.
Yunger led the way with three hits on the night, as part of Tech’s five multi-hit efforts. Brosius finished with two RBI, while Cam Jones, Green and Kerce all had doubles – Green having two. Mike Becchetti also went 1-for-2 for the game with an RBI.
Presbyterian was led by Jay Wetherington, who went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBI. RHP Tanner Smith (1-1) took the loss, surrendering the 10th-inning run in his only inning of work.
Georgia Tech heads back out on the road when it travels to Pitt on April 5-7. First pitch on Thursday is set for 3 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra.
Postgame Notes:
- The three-run ninth-inning comeback was Georgia Tech’s largest since it scored four in the ninth at North Carolina (April 17, 2022) to defeat the Tar Heels, 11-8;
- The three runs in the ninth are the most to tie and force extras since the Jackets faced a 6-3 ninth-inning deficit at Wake Forest (March 24, 2017), before winning 7-6 in 11 innings;
- On a relatively new-look roster, Parker Brosius became the first player on the team with a walkoff hit at Georgia Tech (not counting run-rules).
Multimedia:
Postgame Press Conference (Coach Hall, Dawson Brown, Parker Brosius)
Around Social Media
PARKER BROSIUS LAYS IT DOWN AND BEATS IT OUT TO WALK IT OFF!!!@BrosiusParker | #CardiacJackets pic.twitter.com/XoHGW7SAWk
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) April 3, 2024
Find a way! @GTBaseball squeezes out the walk-off winner!
📺 ACCNX pic.twitter.com/UoaqeHUURS
— ACC Baseball (@ACCBaseball) April 3, 2024
DAWSON BROWN FIRE US UP!! Five-straight strikeouts and seven overall!!@DBrown3527 | #CardiacJackets pic.twitter.com/XOHqa1LRnf
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) April 3, 2024
TIE GAME!!! @drew_burress08 draws the bases loaded walk and we're all knotted up in the 9th!!!
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) April 3, 2024
JAROS NOW!! @rjaros9 has the Jackets within one! pic.twitter.com/zEsHXR48Tf
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) April 3, 2024
MATTHEW ELLIS 💣 pic.twitter.com/dbkdvvLMEt
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) April 3, 2024
.@DBrown3527 with two more strikeouts and Tech will have to do it here pic.twitter.com/Nfnl4twdYX
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) April 3, 2024
Pair of strikeouts and a 1-2-3 inning for @DBrown3527 will send back Tech to the 8-9-1 in the order pic.twitter.com/RNVbogKEOx
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) April 3, 2024
KERCE! @CarsonKerce blasts one to left center to bring in another run pic.twitter.com/9q0dPWQ5WZ
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) April 2, 2024
PG cuts the deficit! @PaytonG08 with a rope to left for an RBI double! pic.twitter.com/OLkp0eQeXr
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) April 2, 2024
I mean come on @GTBaseball this backdrop is the best in the ACC and isn’t really close pic.twitter.com/c7ifNlzS0Q
— Just Means Less ACC (@FQACC) April 2, 2024
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