March 26, 2011
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Ignited by Evan Martin’s two-run, pinch hit home run to left field, the 12th-ranked Georgia Tech baseball team scored nine runs with two outs in the 10th inning to defeat Miami by a 12-3 decision on Saturday afternoon at Alex Rodriguez Park.
The Jackets improved to 20-4 overall, and 8-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play with the series clinching win. Miami falls to 14-10 overall, 6-2 in the ACC.
“It was a great team win, we scored a lot of runs [in the end], but pitching kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win in the 10th inning,” head coach Danny Hall said.
“I didn’t dream that he [Martin] would hit a home run, but to his credit he did. The guy got a change up to him and he didn’t miss it. That’s what it takes. When you get on a streak like we are on, it takes a lot of different guys to contribute.”
Martin, who entered the game as a pinch-hitter for freshman Daniel Palka, had just one hit in 10 plate appearances on the season. He belted a two-run shot on the first offering he saw from Miami reliever Daniel Miranda over the fence in left field to break a 3-3 tie in the 10th inning.
“I was just stepping into the box, trying to get something good to hit and possibly drive into the gap and score the runner at first,” Martin said. “He gave me a hanging changeup on the first pitch and I just took a rip.”
The Jackets went on to plate seven more runs in the frame, extending their nation-leading win streak to 15 games, the longest for a Yellow Jacket team since the 2006 season.
The 12 runs were the most allowed in a game by Miami this season. Miranda fell to 1-1 on the year with the loss after allowing four runs on four hits in 1.2 innings of relief.
Tech hit three home runs in the game, as freshman Mott Hyde and junior Jake Davies also went yard. Hyde drove in a career-best five runs, including three with the first homer of his career.
Freshman reliever Devin Stanton (1-0) earned the win in relief, facing just one batter with two outs in the ninth. Stanton held the potential game-winning run at third after striking out Miami’s Chantz Mack on three straight strikes.
The Lilburn, Ga. native gave solid relief to freshman Dusty Isaacs, who held Miami hitless in 2.1 scoreless innings of his own.
Tech starter Jed Bradley didn’t get the win Saturday, but was still strong in 6 1/3 innings. Bradley allowed just two earned runs, while striking out eight Miami batters and walking one.
He was locked in a pitcher’s duel with Hurricane starter E.J. Espinosa. Espinosa surrendered three runs on just four hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Hyde drew first blood in the game with a two-out, two RBI single to right field in the fourth inning off of Espinosa.
Miami took advantage of three Tech errors in the fifth, and plated a run on a single to first base by nine-hole hitter Dale Carey.
Davies gave the Jackets a 3-1 lead with a solo home run off the scoreboard in left field in the sixth inning.
Bradley held Miami to just four hits through six innings, but the Hurricanes drew a walk and singled to centerfield to start the seventh. After a sac bunt pushed the runners into scoring position, Carey came through again for the Canes’ again with a single to left field to make it 3-2.
Bradley was then lifted for Isaacs with runners on the corners and just one out. Miami’s Zeke DeVoss tied the game at 3-3 on the next at-bat with a fielder’s choice RBI to second base.
The Jackets will look to sweep the series on Sunday, as sophomore Buck Farmer will face Miami’s Eric Whaley at 1 p.m. The game will telecast live on CSS.
