April 23, 2016
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CLEMSON, S.C. – No. 23 Clemson forced extra innings after erasing No. 26 Georgia Tech’s five-run 7th-inning lead and ultimately prevailed Saturday afternoon with an 8-7 victory in 10 innings.
Saturday’s game resumed after play was halted at 9:19 p.m. Friday. After an initial 46-minute delay, the game was postponed. Play resumed at 4:01 p.m.
Junior RHP Matthew Gorst (0-1) suffered the first blemish on his 2016 season, taking the loss. Gorst’s scoreless streak ended at 18.1 innings. Gorst allowed one run on four hits with three strikeouts in 2.1 innings of relief. Starter Brandon Gold allowed seven runs – six of which were unearned – on five hits in 7.0 innings Friday night.
The loss was only the second for Georgia Tech (25-13, 8-10 ACC) when leading after six innings.
It was the second time in four weeks that the Jackets’ ACC series opener was stopped because of the weather. On April 1, play was stopped in the 8th inning of Tech’s home game against Duke with the score tied at 2-2.
THE BASICS
• Friday was the 218th series meeting between Georgia Tech and Clemson. Clemson leads the all-time series 109-106-3.
• Georgia Tech is 22-48-1 all-time at Clemson.
• Georgia Tech is 8-6 away from Russ Chandler Stadium this season.
• The loss dropped Tech’s ACC record to 8-10.
• Tech is now 1-2 in extra-inning games, including an 0-2 mark in ACC games.
• It was the second time in four weeks that the Jackets’ ACC series opener was stopped because of the weather (April 1 vs. Duke).
• Georgia Tech is 4-9 in games played in more than three hours.
• It was Tech’s second loss when leading after 6 innings (now 22-2).
• Georgia Tech is 6-6 (1-5 in ACC play) when committing 2+ errors in a game.
• Friday marked the 32nd different lineup for the Yellow Jackets in 38 games.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• After a 3-up, 3-down 1st inning, Clemson scratched two runs in the 2nd to take a 2-0 lead. Clemson’s scoring was aided by a Trevor Craport fielding error and a Connor Justus throwing error.
• Georgia Tech cut the Clemson lead in half thanks to Connor Justus’ solo home run in the 3rd.
• The Yellow Jackets took a 3-2 lead in the 5th. Matt Gonzalez drilled a two-out RBI single to left, tying the game at 2-2. Kel Johnson then hit an RBI double to the gap in right-center to score Gonzalez, the go-ahead run.
• Tech doubled its run production in the 6th for a 6-2 lead. Arden Pabst’s 2-RBI double to left-center scored Ryan Peurifoy and Craport for a 5-2 advantage. Wade Bailey later scored Pabst on an RBI sac fly to center.
• Craport drove home an insurance run in the 7th with an RBI single through the left side, giving Georgia Tech a 7-2 lead.
• Clemson capitalized on Georgia Tech’s third error of the night. With two on and two out, Maleeke Gibson hit a fly ball to center for the would-be third out. Ryan Peurifoy slipped running in for the grab, fell to his knees and dropped the ball. Chris Williams scored to cut Tech’s lead to 7-3. Gold then hit Seth Beer to load the bases for Chris Okey, who cleared the bases with a 3-RBI double off the wall in right. Two pitches later, Rohlman plated the game’s tying run.
• Matthew Gorst relieved Brandon Gold in the 8th and after allowing a lead-off double, he promptly struck out three straight Clemson batters to end the inning.
• Rohlman led off the 10th with a single up the middle. After a Weston Wilson ground out advanced Rohlman to second, Eli White plated the game-winning run with a single to left.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Georgia Tech recorded 10+ hits for the 23rd time this season, and for the fourth straight game.
• Connor Justus hit his fourth home run of the season – a solo homer – in the 3rd inning. It was Justus’ 7th of his career – all seven have been solo home runs.
• Justus established a season-best for hits with 56. His previous season best was 53 hits set as a freshman in 2014.
• Junior C Arden Pabst tied a season high with 2 RBI.
• Junior RHP Matthew Gorst’s scoreless streak ends at 18.1 innings.
• It was Gorst’s first loss since March 6, 2015, vs. No. 25 Notre Dame – also a 10-inning game.
• Senior Matt Gonzalez moved into a 16th-place tie on Georgia Tech’s all-time hits list with 260.
• Connor Justus (77 games), Wade Bailey (60 games) and Kel Johnson (31 games) each extended their career-best consecutive starts streaks on Friday night at Clemson.
UP NEXT
Game 2 of the ACC series between No. 26 Georgia Tech and No. 23 Clemson will begin at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The game will be available on WREK 91.1 FM.
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