May 16, 2017
.@GTBaseball‘s Brandt Stallings had himself a night on Tuesday as he blasted two home runs in the Yellow Jackets’ 12-3 victory. #MustSeeACC pic.twitter.com/Q1MvBjtri4
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) May 17, 2017
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s Brandt Stallings and Coleman Poje combined for three home runs and seven RBIs, as the Jackets as a team totaled six extra base hits in a 12-3 midweek win over the Georgia Southern Eagles on Tuesday night inside Russ Chandler Stadium.
The win is the seventh straight for the Jackets over the Eagles and gives Tech the regular season two-game series sweep of GS.
The offensive breakout by the Jackets was led by Stallings who was 2-for-3 with two home runs, a walk, four RBIs and three runs scored, as well as Poje who went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, a single, three RBIs and three runs scored.
The top of the order in Wade Bailey (2-for-5, RBI, 2 runs), Trevor Craport (2-for-4) and Ryan Peurifoy (2-for-4, BB, RBI) combined to go 6-for-13 on the night in the 1-2-3 spots, while the Wilhite twins, Austin and Nick, combined to go 3-for-8 with a triple, a double, two RBIs and three runs scored.
The win went to reliever Jared Datoc (6-1), as the junior pitched 2.0 scoreless innings of relief, getting out of a jam in the fourth and giving up just one hit in the fifth.
Tech held the Eagles to just six hits on the night, as Tyler Martin was 2-for-4 with a solo home run, while the other RBI came off a sacrifice fly by C.J. Brasil.
Both teams got on the scoreboard in the second inning, as Georgia Southern took a 1-0 lead on a safety squeeze play with a runner on third in the top half of the inning.
The Jackets answered back in a big way in the bottom half of the inning, putting up a four spot on GS starter Brian Eichhorn (2-5) to take a 4-1 lead into the third.
In the second, Poje led off the inning with a single to left. Austin Wilhite followed with a double into the right field corner to put runners on second and third with no outs. After Stallings drew a base-on-balls to load the bases, designated hitter Keenan Innis hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Poje from third and tie the game up at 1-1.
Freshman Nick Wilhite hit a low line drive just inside the third base line that rolled to the wall to score both his brother and Stallings to put the Jackets on top by two at 3-1.
The inning continued as Bailey then singled up the middle to plate N. Wilhite to give the home team a 4-1 lead after two complete innings.
Tech added an insurance run in the bottom of the third on an RBI ground out by Stallings to push its lead out to four at 5-1.
Georgia Southern looked to get a run back in the top of the fourth, as back-to-back walks by starter Ben Schniederjans put two Eagles on with no outs.
Schniederjans then handed the ball to Datoc out of the bullpen who picked up a strikeout and then a 5-4-3 double play to get the Jackets out of the inning unharmed and keep the White & Gold in front at 5-1.
With one swing of the bat, the Jackets pushed its lead out to six at 7-1 in the bottom of the fifth by way of a two-run home run to straight away center field and off the batter’s eye by Stallings, his fifth home run of the season.
Tech added another home run in the sixth, as Poje hit a monster three-run home run into the trees beyond the wall in right center field.
The Eagles scored a run in the top of the seventh on an errant throw by the Jackets and then another run in the eighth on a solo home run by Martin, only to see the Jackets post two more runs in-between the visitors two at bats with a solo home run by Stallings and an RBI single by Peurifoy in the bottom of the seventh.
Senior hurler Zac Ryan came in to pitch around an error in the ninth, including striking out two in the frame to send the Jackets home with a 12-3 home win.
Tech registered two double plays on the night and stranded five Eagle runners on base.
Georgia Tech (26-24, 10-17 ACC) will host No. 8 Virginia (39-12, 16-11 ACC) in the final ACC series of the season. The Thursday and Friday night games will start at 6 p.m., while Saturday will be Senior Day and will begin at 12:10 p.m. with the senior recognition prior to the first pitch at 12:30 p.m.
Tech Tidbits
* Georgia Tech is 15-4 on the season when recording a big inning for the contest (four runs or more).
* With the win, the Jackets have now won seven straight games over the Eagles.
* Tech completed the two-game series sweep over the Eagles with the victory.
* With the win, Tech finishes the season at 6-3 versus in-state foes Georgia, Mercer, Georgia Southern and Georgia State.
* The 12-runs are the most by the Jackets since defeating Virginia Tech 13-3 back in game one of the doubleheader on April 21.
* Ryan Peurifoy continued his hitting streak, pushing it out to a career-high 18 straight games.
* Wade Bailey has now reached base safely in 22 straight games, a new career high.
* Wade Bailey extended his hitting streak to 12 straight games.
* Wade Bailey now as 199 career hits for the Jackets.
* Trevor Craport pushed his current hitting streak out to eight straight games.
* Brandt Stallings blasted his fifth and sixth home runs of the season.
* With Brandt Stallings’ two home runs in the game, Tech has had six multi-home run games by a single player so far this season. (Kel Johnson hit three home runs at Georgia Southern on Feb. 21; Joey Bart hit two home runs in a single game versus Belmont on Mar. 4 and again at Mercer on Mar. 28; Coleman Poje blasted two home runs at Wake Forest on Mar. 24; Wade Bailey hit two home runs in the Jackets’ win at VT on April 22).
* Freshman Paxton Rigby recorded his first base hit as a Jacket in the win.
* Nick Wilhite picked up his first career triple as a Jacket on Tuesday night.
* Jared Datoc recorded his team leading sixth win of the season.
* Kel Johnson missed his first game of the season due to an injury.
* Joey Bart missed his sixth straight game due to an injury.
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