May 8, 2017
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech sophomore pitcher Jake Lee held the Pittsburgh Panthers to only two runs over a career-high 7.0-plus innings on Monday night to lead the Jackets to a 5-2 home win and an ACC series sweep of the Panthers at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Tech improves to 24-21 overall and 9-15 in the ACC with the win, while Pitt falls to 21-24 overall and 8-16 in the league with the loss.
Lee (3-2) matched his season-high with five strikeouts, as he allowed just two runs on five hits and one walk over 7.0-plus innings, before giving the ball to senior Zac Ryan (5) who picked up the six-out save, which included four strikeouts over the final two innings of play.
Senior outfielder Ryan Peurifoy extended his hitting streak to 13-straight games with a single in the eighth, as he was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in the win. Chase Murray (2-for-3, RBI), Austin Wilhite (2-for-3, 3B, 2B, RBI) and Trevor Craport (2-for-4, 2B, run) each had two hits apiece at the plate on the night.
Pitt’s Josh Falk (3-6) was saddled with the loss, as the starter gave up four runs, two of which were earned, on seven hits and two walks, while striking out three Tech batters.
Six different Panthers recorded a hit on the night led by Caleb Parry who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Frank Maldonado who was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Like fellow sophomore starting pitcher Keyton Gibson last night, Lee used two double play balls early in the contest, a 6-4-3 in the top of the first and a 4-6-3 double play in the top of the second, to get out of some early trouble and keep the Panthers off the scoreboard.
The Tech offense scored first, as Wade Bailey led off the bottom of the first with a single to right center field and then moved up to third on a double off the bat of Craport. Peurifoy then hit a ground ball into the hole on the right side of the infield to score Bailey and move Craport up to third on the putout.
Two batters later, Craport trotted home on a passed ball by the Pitt catcher to put the Jackets in front at 2-0 after just one inning of play.
The Jackets took advantage of another Pitt miscue in the bottom of the second, as Wilhite, who led off the inning with a double to right center field, scored from third on a Panther throwing error later in the inning to push the Jackets lead out to 3-0 after two complete.
Pitt got a run back in the top of the fourth on a lead-off walk, a one-out single and an RBI double down the left field line to put the score at 3-1, before Lee got a pop out to first and a huge strikeout with runners on second and third to get out of the jam.
The offense answered the Pitt run with one of its own in the bottom of the fourth, as Wilhite tripled to right field and then scored on an RBI single by Brandt Stallings to put the home team back on top by three at 4-1.
Lee pitched around a single in the fifth and then threw back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the sixth and the seventh innings to keep the Panthers’ offense guessing.
However, Pitt got a lead-off single to start the eighth and then used a wild pitch and two more singles to score another run and cut the Jackets’ lead to two at 4-2.
Tech again answered with another run of its own in the bottom half of the inning, as a Peurifoy single, a Pitt fielding error, a sacrifice bunt and a Murray RBI single gave the Jackets a 5-2 lead going into the final frame.
The ninth belonged to Ryan, as he got a strikeout and back-to-back ground outs to Bailey at second to give the Jackets the 5-2 win and the series sweep.
Georgia Tech (24-21) will take on Georgia (19-29) tomorrow night at 7 p.m. ET inside SunTrust Park.
Tech Tidbits
* When leading after seven complete innings, the Jackets are now 22-3 on the season.
* The ACC series sweep of Pitt was the first conference series sweep for the Jackets since Tech swept Virginia Tech last year on Mar. 18-20 at Russ Chandler Stadium.
* Ryan Peurifoy continued his hitting streak, pushing it out to a career-high 13 straight games.
* Wade Bailey has now reached base safely in 17 straight games, a new career high.
* Wade Bailey extended his hitting streak to seven straight games.
* Zac Ryan recorded his team-high fifth save of the season and 14th career save.
* With his 14 career saves, Zac Ryan now ranks eighth all-time in career saves in Tech history.
* Jake Lee pitched a career-high 7.0-plus innings in the win on Monday night.
* Jake Lee tied his season-high with five strikeouts.
* Austin Wilhite picked up his first career triple on the night.
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