April 15, 2016
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THE FLATS – No. 19 Georgia Tech was unable to avoid the big innings Friday night as No. 12 NC State sprayed 12 hits in an 8-3 win over the Yellow Jackets.
Georgia Tech (23-10, 7-8 ACC) committed three costly errors, including a Kel Johnson fielding error in the 9th inning that led to four unearned NC State runs.
Brandon Gold (4-2) suffered his first loss in more than a month. Gold allowed four runs on six hits with six strikeouts in 6.0 innings.
Tech has now last straight ACC home games and three straight games overall, while NC State (25-9, 9-5 ACC) has now won the last three series meetings.
THE BASICS
• Georgia Tech is now 16-5 at home this season.
• Georgia Tech has lost three straight ACC home games and three straight games overall.
• NC State has now won the last three meetings. Georgia Tech leads the series 72-54 with a 36-15 advantage in Atlanta.
• 24 of Tech’s 33 games this season have been played in less than three hours. Georgia Tech is 3-6 in games played in more than three hours.
• Friday marked the 27th different lineup for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 33 games.
• Georgia Tech is 2-10 this season when trailing after the 7th and 8th innings.
• Nine of Tech’s 10 losses have come with the Yellow Jackets allowing eight or more runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Georgia Tech scratched the board first with a pair of runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings. Kel Johnson led off the 2nd with a triple off the wall in right field. Tristin English followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to right for a 1-0 Tech lead.
• In the 3rd, Wade Bailey plated Ryan Peurifoy with an RBI single to left, giving the Jackets a 2-0 lead.
• Tech’s lead would last until the 5th inning when the Wolfpack plated three runs for a 3-2 lead. Josh McLain’s 2-rbi double down the left line tied the game at 2-2. Stephen Pitarra later plated the go-ahead run after he reached on a Wade Bailey fielding error.
• NC State added another run in the 6th for a 4-2 lead.
• Georgia Tech cut the deficit to 4-3 after Arden Pabst scored on Connor Justus’ RBI fielder’s choice.
• With two outs in the top of the 9th, the Wolfpack took advantage of a Kel Johnson fielding error in right to score four unearned runs to take the 8-3 win.
QUOTE BOARD
“They hit Brandon (Gold) in the 5th with a couple of doubles, got some runs. The 9th inning was very disappointing. We had a chance to get out of there. It wasn’t an easy play for Kel (Johnson), but I know he thinks he should have made, I think he probably should have made it and he makes that play all the time. After that, (NC State) scored three more runs. We couldn’t put enough offense together to score. We have to keep our heads up and take another crack at them Saturday.” – Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall after the Jackets’ 8-3 loss
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Georgia Tech turned a season-high-tying four double plays to increase its NCAA-leading total to 49.
• Kel Johnson’s second-inning triple was the second of the season and second of his career.
• Wade Bailey went 2-for-4, recording his 14th multi-hit game of the season.
• Connor Justus (72 games), Wade Bailey (55 games), Kel Johnson (26 games), Trevor Craport (19 games) and Tristin English (19 games) each extended their career-best consecutive starts streaks Friday night vs. NC State.
UP NEXT
Game 2 of the top-20 ACC series between No. 19 Georgia Tech and No. 12 NC State will begin at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday. The game will be streamed on ESPN3 and WREK 91.1 FM.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on Twitter (@GTBaseball), Facebook (facebook.com/GTbaseball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
