March 3, 2017
THE FLATS — No. 17 Georgia Tech starter Xzavion Curry threw six scoreless innings, while the Jackets’ offense pounded out 12 hits in a 12-3 home win over the Belmont Bruins on Friday evening in the first game of the three-game weekend series at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The win was the first for the Jackets over Belmont and moved Tech to 8-1 overall on the season.
Curry (3-0) improved to a perfect 3-0 on the season, as the freshman was sharp on the mound for the Jackets allowing just one hit while striking out a career-high seven Bruin batters in six scoreless innings.
Sophomore Jake Lee (1) picked up the three inning save, as the righty pitched the final 3.0 innings, surrendering just hit and three walks while striking out two in the scoreless relief effort.
Offensively, the Tech offense was led by the duo up the middle in Wade Bailey and Austin Wilhite. Bailey was 3-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs and three runs scored, while Wilhite was 3-for-4 with a double, a career-high four RBIs and two runs scored.
Both Trevor Craport (1-for-5, HR, 2 RBIs) and Joey Bart (1-for-4, HR, RBI) each recorded a home run in the win, while Kel Johnson (1-for-4, SF RBI) and Coleman Poje (1-for-4, RBI) each had an RBI in the win.
Belmont totaled just three runs on three hits for the game, as Brennan Washington was 1-for-3 with an RBI, while both Rafael Bournigal and Chas Hadden were 1-for-2 with a run scored in the loss.
As the Jackets have done all season long, Tech jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a leadoff double by Bailey and an RBI sacrifice fly by Johnson.
Tech added to the lead just one inning later, as senior Ryan Peurifoy picked up a one-out walk and then moved up to second on an error on the Belmont pitcher which allowed Kyle McCann to reach base safely.
Wilhite made the Bruins pay, as he lined a double to right center field to score both Peurifoy and McCann to put the Jackets in front at 3-0. Bailey followed with an RBI single to left field to drive in Wilhite. Six pitches later, in a 3-2 count, Craport hit a rocket that jetted over the left field wall for a two-run shot to put the home team on top 6-0 after just two complete innings.
That’s when the Jackets handed the game over to Curry who struck out the side in the top of the third and a total of five of the next six Bruin batters to roll into the bottom of the fourth having allowed just one hit overall.
Georgia Tech picked up three more insurance runs in the fourth, as McCann and Wilhite hit back-to-back singles to bring up the top of the order once again where Bailey doubled down the left field line to score two and put the home team in front at 8-0.
Four batters later Poje picked up an RBI single to plate Bailey and push the Jackets’ lead out to 9-0 after four innings of play.
Curry, who picked off not one but two Bruins at first base in the game, cruised through the fifth and sixth innings before handing the ball over to the bullpen in the seventh where the Bruins took advantage of a Hadden single, back-to-back walks and a Washington RBI single to break up the shutout and put the score at 9-1.
Belmont added two more runs in the inning on two fielder’s choices to put the score at 9-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
The Jackets got the runs back, as Tech scored two in the bottom half of the seventh on a two-run single up the middle by Wilhite and then one more run in the eighth on a solo shot off the bat of Bart to put the score at 12-3.
The Jackets (8-1) will be back in action tomorrow afternoon for game two versus Belmont (4-5) at 2 p.m. ET from Russ Chandler Stadium.
Austin Wilhite post game with Wiley Ballard after the Jackets’ 12-3 win on Friday! #TogetherWeSwarm pic.twitter.com/H9Dig3Z4Gr
— GeorgiaTech Baseball (@GTBaseball) March 3, 2017
Tech Tidbits
• Tech moves to 8-1 overall on the season and 7-1 at home.
• The Jackets are now 1-0 all-time versus the Belmont Bruins.
• Georgia Tech is now 5-0 on the season when scoring in the first inning.
• The Yellow Jackets are now 8-0 when scoring first in the contest.
• Tech has now outscored its foes 54-11 overall on the season in the first three innings of play.
• The Jackets are now 8-0 on the season when scoring five runs or more.
• Tech is a perfect 13-13 in stolen bases as a team this season.
• The three hits allowed by the Jackets are the fewest allowed this season.
• Xzavion Curry struck out a career-high seven batters in the win.
• Austin Wilhite recorded a career-high four RBIs in the victory on Friday.
• Jake Lee registered his first save of the year in Tech’s win.
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